The second national lockdown has washed down demand for new cars in the UK, with sales down by almost 30 per cent in November. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said only 113,781 new registrations were recorded in the UK, nearly 43,000 or 27.4 per cent fewer than during November 2019. Showrooms across the country were forced to close for most of November, however, click and collect orders were processed.
SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said, “Compared with the spring lockdown, manufacturers, dealers and consumers were all better prepared to adjust to constrained trading conditions. But with £1.3bn worth of new car revenue lost in November alone, the importance of showroom trading to the UK economy is evident and we must ensure they remain open in any future Covid-19 restrictions.”
He added, “More positively, with a vaccine now approved, the business and consumer confidence on which this sector depends can only improve, giving the industry more optimism for the turn of the year.” Private demand fell by 32.2 per cent last month, while the number of new cars added to larger fleets was down 22.1 per cent. Total registrations during the first 11 months of the year were down 30.7 per cent compared with the same period in 2019.
