Used Car Sales Fall Year-on-Year

Used car sales fall year-on-year

Nottingham, UK, 28 June, 2010 - Experian®, the global information services company, today published used car sales statistics in the UK for the first quarter of 2010 revealing that used car sales were 7.6 per cent lower than Q1 2009.

The fall in sales was led by the upper medium segment which was down by 12.2 per cent, followed by the multi-purpose vehicles (MPV) segment which saw sales fall by 10.6 per cent.

However, the quarter-on-quarter picture reflected a common trend for this time of the year by increasing, up 14.8 per cent compared to Q4 2009.  In contrast to the year-on-year change, this was led by sales of MPVs with a 27.3 per cent increase in sales when compared with the previous quarter.  Within this segment, the Vauxhall Zafira was the top-selling model.
Mark Wilkinson, Head of Sales for Experian Automotive, comments: “Despite the VAT increase  being delayed  until January next year, challenges will continue to face the industry  for the foreseeable future.

With  2009 seeing some of the lowest sales volumes  of the last ten years, and with  the scrappage discount incentive at an end , a smaller supply of younger, good quality stock  will be available for the second-hand market.  Retailers are likely to be reviewing stock profile more than ever. This means that they will be looking to maximise profitability from the stock available and that managing risk and avoiding vehicles with a chequered history will become a top priority."‪

Segment
The mini category, which includes the Daewoo Matiz and the Fiat Seicento, was the only segment to buck the trend and avoid year-on-year decline in sales.  All the other segments suffered, with the upper medium segment, including cars such as the Ford Mondeo and BMW 3 Series, seeing the highest drop of 12.2 per cent.

Make
Year-on-year, used cars from all makes saw their sales fall.  After Rover, Fiat saw the highest decline in used car sales, down 10 percent.  The biggest increases from Q4 2009 to Q1 2010 came from Citroen, Renault and Peugeot.

Fuel
Hybrid cars saw the most significant increase in sales (65 per cent) when compared with Q1 2009.  However, it was also the only fuel category that saw a decline since the last quarter (2.3 per cent).  Petrol fuelled cars still dominate the market with over 70 per cent of sales.

Age
Of all the age groups, younger cars, aged between 0-3 years old, saw the biggest increase in sales when compared to the last quarter (Q4 2009), with a 23.2 per cent rise, but also the biggest decline compared to Q1 2009 (down 18.4 per cent). 

Source: Experian’s MarketView Online and the DVLA

Source: Experian’s MarketView Online and the DVLA

Source: Experian’s MarketView Online and the DVLA

Source: Experian’s MarketView Online and the DVLA

ENDS
Contact:
Natalie Hale
TEL: 0115 992 2645/07971 709274
Email: natalie.hale@uk.experian.com

About Experian
Experian is the leading global information services company, providing data and analytical tools to clients in more than 90 countries. The company helps businesses to manage credit risk, prevent fraud, target marketing offers and automate decision making. Experian also helps individuals to check their credit report and credit score, and protect against identity theft.

For more information, visit www.experian.co.uk.

Experian plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN) and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 index. Total revenue for the year ended 31 March 2010 was $3.9 billion. Experian employs approximately 15,000 people in 40 countries and has its corporate headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, with operational headquarters in Nottingham, UK; Costa Mesa, California; and São Paulo, Brazil.

For more information, visit http://www.experianplc.com.