ANALYSIS
driving success
A change in buying habits has provided a boon to the British car industry
By Joanne Hart
T
he last quarter of 2015 was a dramatic one for the
motor industry. German carmakerVolkswagen
was rocked by an emissions scandal.And at home,
a 43-month period of continuous growth in car
registrations came to an abrupt end when October
figures showed a monthly fall of 1.1%
1
.
Registrations for the first 10 months of 2015 were still up
6.4% year on year to 2.28 million, the best year-to-date figures
on record
2
.And while the October fall provided food for
thought, the Society of Motor Manufacturers andTraders
(SMMT) remains upbeat.
‘The UK car market has gone through a period of
unprecedented growth.As expected, demand has now
begun to level off; but the sector is in a strong position, as
low interest rates, consumer confidence and exciting new
products combine to attract new car buyers,’ says SMMT
Chief Executive,Mike Hawes.
SECTOR FOCUS
THE INVESTOR
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