Moving up a gear: Boost as figures reveal sales of new cars on the increase

There were 143,884 new registrations in July 2012 – a 9.3 per cent increase on the total in July last year, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said.

New car sales for the year so far have now reached 1,201,564 – a 3.47 per cent rise on the January-July 2011 total. July’s rise was the fifth monthly increase in a row and the biggest so far this year.

The SMMT has now revised its full-year sales forecast upwards to 1.97 million cars, which would be a 1.6 per cent increase on the 2011 year-end total.

Its chief executive, Paul Everitt, said the 2012 full-year forecast suggested “a slight slowing of demand in the second half of the year”.

He went on: “International economic stability remains a concern for vehicle manufacturers and the UK market, but intense competition and new fuel-efficient products are creating great opportunities for motorists.” The Mini sector grew by more than 93 per cent last month while dual-purpose vehicle sales rose more than 42 per cent.

There was also a rise of nearly 46 per cent in sales of alternatively-fuelled cars.

Picture: Martin Rickett/PA Wire