Summer slowdown in car sales
- August 3, 2016
- Posted by: Simon Wait
- Category: Industry News
Italy and Spain both recorded a deceleration in the car market in July, with two fewer working days a contributing factor.
Passenger car registrations in the Italian market grew by 2.9% year on year during July, according to the latest data published by UNRAE. The number registered reached 136,275 units versus 132,485 last year.
Despite a slowdown in growth though, year to date growth in the country has been recorded at 17.1%. Leading the way is traditional bestselling brand Fiat, with parent company Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ (FCA) saying its other brands have also recorded gains this month to varying degrees. After FCA, the second biggest selling brand was Volkswagen (VW), although year on year registrations fell by 8.1%, with Ford third.
Meanwhile, in Spain the passenger car market recorded a gain of 4.3% year on year in July, with 107,306 units sold. Year to date gains stand at 11.0% with Opel resuming its position as the biggest selling brand in the country thanks to growth of 23.2%. Renault and SEAT were second and third, while sales of the VW brand tumbled by 25%.