UK new car sales down 0.8pc y/y in Sept

LONDON: British new car sales fell 0.8 percent on the year in September, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said on Thursday.

The SMMT said new car registrations totalled 332,476 last month, and that it was on track to meet its forecast for 1.92 million new car registrations this year, down 5.3 percent on the year.

However, it revised down its forecast for 2012 to 1.96 million units, due to continued weakness in UK domestic demand and economic uncertainty in Europe.

Car sales are usually boosted in September by a change in vehicle numberplates, and the SMMT said growth in fleet sales supported the market.

Demand from private buyers fell, however, with registrations down 9.3 percent on the year.