UK car sales dive 44 percent

New car sales in Britain dived 44 percent last month as the country's lockdown triggered by the coronavirus outbreak shut show rooms, industry data showed Monday. It comes as UK-based research group, the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR), estimated that Britain's lockdown was costing its economy more that £2.4 billion ($2.9 billion, 2.7 billion euros) per day in lost output across all main sectors.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders meanwhile said that UK car sales suffered the worst March since the late 1990s.
"In the important plate change month, 203,370 fewer cars were registered than in March 2019, as showrooms closed in line with government advice to contain the spread of the coronavirus," the SMMT said in a statement. Sales are normally boosted by the twice-a-year number plate change that occurs in March and September.