The number of new cars registered in the UK in May rose by 11 per cent compared to the same month in 2012, new figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) have revealed.
It was the fifteen successive month of growth for the UK new car market, with nearly 180,000 cars finding buyers -- the highest number since 2007, before the recession.
The increase was fuelled in part by a 20.9 per cent rise in private sales. In total, the new car market has risen by 9.3 per cent this year, with 948,666 cars finding homes since the beginning of January.
SMMT Interim Chief Executive Mike Baunton said: "The performance of new car registrations in May marks a significant milestone for UK automotive, with cars registered by private buyers rising more than 20%, bettering pre-recession volumes posted in 2007.
"While it is clear that buying confidence among UK motorists is very strong, continued economic uncertainty abroad, particularly in the rest of Europe, will mean that manufacturers remain cautious about performance in the second half of 2013."
The Ford Fiesta remained the best-selling car last month, selling 9,316 units. The Ford Focus took second place with 7,522 sales, followed by the Vauxhall Corsa with 6,634. The VW Golf, Vauxhall Astra, Nissan Qashqai, BMW 3 Series, VW Polo, Peugeot 208 and Audi A3 rounded off the top ten.
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