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New '13' plates to push sales higher in March - and Ford Fiesta remains nation's favourite

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Motorists ignored superstition and bought 394,806 cars with new ‘13’ number plates last month, coincidentally the 13th month of rising sales, the Society of Motor Manufactures and Traders (SMMT) has reported.

New registrations were 5.9 per cent up on March 2012 and took the number of sales for the first three months of 2013 to 605,198 – a 7.4 per cent rise on the January-March 2012 figure.

Registrations of petrol-fuelled cars surpassed diesels in the first three months of this year, spurred on by the growth in the small car and private sector markets.

Ford Fiesta: The small economical motor continues to be the most popular new car to buy

Earlier this year research by motoring organisation the AA suggested the number 13 plate may prove unpopular with new motor buyers.

In a survey, it found that a third of potential new car buyers would think twice about snapping up a 13 plate – not because they fear a mishap, but because they fear trying to sell them on.

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However, this appears not to be the case, with motorists snapping up new motors regardless of the ‘unlucky’ 13 plate.

According to the statistics, 202,249 petrol motors were sold compared to 187,239 diesel last month.

It buck the trend of the last two years in which more diesel vehicles have been sold compared to petrol, taking a record market share according to SMMT. But it appears this may reverse this year if current trends continue in the coming months.

Looking at the sales figures, the Ford Fiesta was the most popular car to buy last month, with 22,748 sold.

Vauxhall Corsa was second with 16,169 sales followed by the Ford Focus, with 15,434.

TOP SELLING CARS MARCH 2013

1. Ford Fiesta - 22,7482. Vauxhall Corsa - 16,1693. Ford Focus - 15,4344. Volkswagen Golf - 9,9785. Vauxhall Astra - 9,5596. Nissan Qashqai - 8,4657. Volkswagen Polo - 7,4318. BMW 1 Series - 7,0019. Peugeot 208 - 6,72610. Mercedes C-Class - 6,628

Last month was the 13th consecutive month of increased sales. However, this optimism must be tempered by the fact that the January-March 2013 total was still more than 12 per cent below the figure for the first three months of 2007 - the last full year before the credit crunch bit.

Mike Baunton, SMMT's interim chief executive, said new car registrations out-performed expectations in March, the first month of the new 13-plate.

He said: ‘Despite ongoing economic concerns, consistent monthly growth in the market is an encouraging sign of returning consumer confidence as motorists are attracted to forecourts by new models and the latest technologies.’

Sales rising: The SMMT data shows that new March registration sales have crept up year-on-year since 2008

Car sales continue to strengthen in the UK

Last year saw the largest increase in new car sales in the UK for more than a decade, in a positive sign that consumer demand was in ruder health.

 

More than two million new cars were sold in 2012, an increase of 5.3 per cent on 2011 and the highest since 2008, according to SMMT data at the start of the year. 

In contrast, there was a a steep slump in new car sales on the Continent as the eurozone crisis took its toll, with the most dramatic falls in Italy and France - falling 19.9 per cent and 14 per cent last year respectively.

Looking at the statistics for the first three months of this year, it appears new car sales could grow once again in 2013 in Britain, edging ever closer to figures last seen before the financial crisis in 2008.


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