New UK car registrations dropped by 4.4% in September from a year earlier, according to the motor industry.
That made it the worst September this century in what is normally the industry’s second most important month.
There were just 328,041 new registrations in the month, said the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
The car sector has been hit extremely hard by the coronavirus pandemic, which closed factories and showrooms. Major redundancies and layoffs are also expected in the industry.
September is normally second to March as the industry’s most important sales month, because licence plate changes typically prompt a spike in demand.
The SMMT said last month saw the lowest volume in new cars since the current licence plate system began in 1999.
SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said: “During a torrid year, the automotive industry has demonstrated incredible resilience, but this is not a recovery.
Unless the pandemic is controlled and economy-wide consumer and business confidence rebuilt, the short-term future looks very challenging indeed.”
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