New car sales continue to fall

The sale of new cars fell for the fifth consecutive month in August, according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

August is generally a slower month for car sales as buyers put off purchases until the September registration plate change but across the UK registrations last month were still down 6.4 per cent compared with 2016. In Scotland the picture was even worse, with a 10 per cent drop compared with August 2016.

Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, insisted the figures weren’t all bad news. He said: “August is typically a quiet month as consumers and businesses delay purchases until the arrival of the new number plate in September. With the new 67-plate now available and a range of new models in showrooms, we anticipate the continuation of what are historically high levels of demand.”

Diesel once again bore the brunt of the fall. While petrol vehicle registrations rose slightly (3.8 per cent) and alternatively fuelled vehicles were up 58.3 per cent on last year, diesel sales were down 21.3 per cent – a similar drop to previous months.