New car sales surge in Scotland 06 | 08 | 2012
NEW CAR SALES in Scotland were up 24.07% in July compared to the same month last year. And the figure was significantly higher than the rest of the UK which saw an increase of 9.31% in July 2012.
The Scottish figures — which resulted in 12,036 new cars leaving showrooms across the country, compared to 9701 in July 2011 — were understandably welcomed by Douglas Robertson, chief executive of the Scottish Motor Trade Association.
"We are very pleased at another improvement on last year’s figures," Robertson said today, "and delighted to see a continuation of the upward trend of the past few months.
"We are also a little surprised at the size of the increase. Availability of cars always can distort these figures slightly, and the July figures reflect that.
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"But this improved availability, together with the excellent range of fuel efficient cars on the market, has increased competitiveness and encouraged consumers to return to the market. We look forward to this continuing."
The biggest rise was in Strathclyde which witnessed a 36.21% increase, up from 4471 new cars in July '11, to 6090 last month.
Lothian saw the second largest growth, up from 1220 units to 1466 last month, a year-on-year increase of 20.16%.
The biggest-selling car last month was the Ford Fiesta, followed by the Vauxhall Corsa, Vauxhall Astra, Renault Clio and Fiat Punto.
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But it's Vauxhall which continues to lead the overall new car market in Scotland.
Over the first seven months of 2012 it has sold 14,995 new cars in Scotland, representing a 14.49% market share. Ford is second with 13,075 sales (12.63).
And so far this year, the Vauxhall Corsa is the biggest-selling car in Scotland, with 6986 new models being registered in the first seven months of 2012.
Top 10 Sellers in Scotland (Jan-July 2012):
1. Vauxhall Corsa 6986;
2. Ford Fiesta 6049;
3. Vauxhall Astra 4266;
4. Ford Focus 3589;
5. VW Polo 2657;
6. Nissan Qashqai 2633;
7. VW Golf 2217;
8. Renault Clio 2140;
9. Toyota Yaris 1606;
10. Vauxhall Insignia 1565.
Top 10 Best-Selling Manufacturers in Scotland (Jan-July 2012):
1. Vauxhall 14,995 (14.49% Mkt Share);
2. Ford 13,075 (12.63%);
3. Volkswagen 7719 (7.46%);
4. Nissan 5985 (5.78%);
5. Audi 5106 (4.93%);
6. BMW 4897 (4.73%);
7. Peugeot 4829 (4.67%);
8. Kia 4754 (4.59%);
9. Toyota 4027 (3.89%);
10. Renault 3899 (3.77%).
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Jim McGill