Slight recovery for the European car market. Last month registrations in the European Union grew by 1,1% year-on-year, while between January and September they fell by 0,8% on a quarterly basis. These are the latest data released by Acea, the association that brings together the manufacturers of the Old Continent. In August, the car market in Europe had grown by 7,8%, to 787.435 registrations.
Restricting the target to single countries, Germany was the only one to score a positive result in September (+8,1%), while decreases were recorded in Great Britain (-0,8%), Spain (-1,3%), France (-1,4%) and Italy (-5,7 %). Between January and September the performances are not homogeneous: Great Britain (-5%), Italy (-11,3%) and Spain (-20,7%) still bad, France stable (+0,2%) and growth spectacular for Germany (+10,8%).
As for the main manufacturers, in September Volkswagen confirms gold medal European, with an increase in sales of 12,5% (156.521 units). Followed by Ford (-0,3%, to 108.231) and Opel (-5,9%, to 98.793).
It remains detached the Fiat Group, which registered a sharp drop in sales. In September, the new registrations of the Lingotto were 82.115, down by 7,8% compared to 89.102 a year ago. In August, sales had marked a decline of 7,6%.
The numbers for the first nine months of the year are also bad: the Turin-based company sold 749.417 new vehicles, down 12% compared to the same period last year. In detail, in September the most conspicuous drop was that of the Fiat brand (-12,7%), while the Lancia-Chrysler, in contrast, recorded an increase of 16,9%. Alfa Romeo it limited its losses, losing 2,6% in Europe, while the brand's boom continues Jeep, which records an increase of as much as 132,5%, to 2.730 units.
For the market share held by the group in the EU, on an annual basis it fell from 7,1 to 6,5%, despite recording a recovery compared to 5,8% last August. On this front, the overall figure between January and September was 7,2%, against 8,1% recorded in the same period of 2010.
