Key findings: P6343.2 - Motor trade sales, December 2008

Motor trade sales decrease

Motor trade sales for the fourth quarter of 2008 decreased by 1,7% compared with the fourth quarter of 2007, while the corresponding growth for the same period in 2007 was 7,4%. Seasonally adjusted motor trade sales for the fourth quarter of 2008 decreased by 2,2% compared with the third quarter of 2008.

This decrease was mainly the result of the general decrease in new vehicle sales (contributing -6,9 percentage points). However, the negative growth was counteracted by the positive growth experienced in the form of sales of fuel (contributing 3,3 percentage points) and sales of accessories (contributing 2,6 percentage points).

In 2008 motor trade sales increased by 4,0% compared with 2007, their lowest annual growth in a decade. The corresponding growth in motor trade sales for 2007 was 9,4%.
 
Motor trade sales for December 2008 increased by 1,3% compared with December 2007, while sales for the corresponding period of 2007 increased by 2,8%.