Q3 sees first annual increase in used car sales since 2006
Nottingham , UK, 17 December, 2010 - Experian®, the global information services company, today published its UK used car sales statistics for the third quarter of 2010.
1,801,258 used cars were sold during July, August and September, a four per cent increase on Q3 2009 and 1.1 per cent higher than the previous quarter (Q2 2010) making it the first quarter to see sales increase both annually and quarterly since Q1 2006.
The mini, MPV and 4x4 categories, which includes the Vauxhall Corsa, Vauxhall Zafira and Toyota Rav4, were the segments leading the increase. These categories saw rises of 9.2 per cent, 14.1 per cent and 7.7 per cent respectively.
The South East was the best performing region in the UK for used car sales, with a total of 382,697 cars sold. This was an 8.4 per cent increase compared to Q3 2009.
Joe Myers, Director of Commercial for Experian , comments: “Q3 is historically a slow period for used cars sales, which makes this improvement in sales volumes very positive news for the used car industry.
“By taking advantage of market intelligence around car sales, dealers can use the surge in transactions to uncover the latest buying trends and adapt their stock offering to meet market demand and maximize sales opportunities.”
Trevor Finn, Chief Executive of Pendragon, gives a retailer’s view on the increase: “Our national representation concurs with this view of a strengthening used vehicle market in Q3 of 2010 versus the prior year and Q2 of 2010. Interestingly, our statistics indicate that within our premium Stratstone division consumers are switching to cars over 3 years old as opposed to cars under 3 years old. Furthermore, when comparing Q3 2010 with Q2 2010, within our volume Evans Halshaw division our average sales price has fallen by 2.1% indicating that consumers are still seeking value in these tight economic conditions”.
Segment
Bucking the trend with a fall in sales were the Luxury (-0.2 per cent) and Upper Medium (2.56 per cent) segments. The Lower Medium and Supermini segments had the highest number of sales, with 499,681 and 554,083 units sold.
Make
Ford remains the top-selling make with 14 per cent (260,067) of all used cars sales during Q3. With over 76,000 units sold the best selling car by volume in Q3 2010 was the Vauxhall Corsa. Mercedes Benz saw the biggest improvement, seeing sales rise by 14.3 per cent increase year-on-ear.
Fuel
Sales of electric and hybrid models continued to increase, rising by 36.7 per cent and 46 per cent respectively. Petrol cars still dominate the market, accounting for 72.2 per cent of sales.
Segment |
Q3 2010
|
% change from Q3 2009 |
% change from Q2 2010 |
SUV/4x4 |
115295 |
7.7 |
5.2 |
Executive |
85942 |
6.4 |
4.6 |
Lower Medium |
499681 |
3.4 |
0.5 |
Luxury |
12065 |
-0.3 |
0.8 |
MPV |
96102 |
14.2 |
4.0 |
Mini |
30119 |
9.2 |
3.3 |
Sports |
68692 |
0.0 |
-5.6 |
Supermini |
554083 |
6.7 |
2.9 |
Upper Medium |
311383 |
-2.6 |
-2.4 |
Unspecified |
27896 |
-6.3 |
-3.1 |
Total |
1801258 |
4.0 |
1.1 |
Source: Experian’s MarketView Online and the DVLA
Make |
Q3 2010
|
% change from Q3 2009 |
% change from Q2 2010 |
BMW |
80894 |
1.5 |
-4.1 |
CITROEN |
63067 |
-1.1 |
-7.1 |
FIAT |
52854 |
-2.9 |
2.2 |
FORD |
261987 |
-0.4 |
0.7 |
HONDA |
51968 |
7.5 |
4.3 |
MERCEDES-BENZ |
59406 |
14.3 |
7.3 |
NISSAN |
62541 |
0.0 |
0.2 |
PEUGEOT |
123992 |
-3.2 |
-5.7 |
RENAULT |
112989 |
0.4 |
-3.0 |
ROVER |
39254 |
-19.1 |
-7.1 |
TOYOTA |
65672 |
4.3 |
1.9 |
VAUXHALL |
228849 |
-4.2 |
-0.4 |
VOLKSWAGEN |
131158 |
5.6 |
2.0 |
~Others |
466627 |
18.7 |
6.8 |
Total |
1801258 |
4.0 |
1.1 |
Source: Experian’s MarketView Online and the DVLA
Fuel type |
Q3 2010
|
% change from Q3 2009 |
% change from Q2 2010 |
Diesel |
492152 |
7.2 |
1.6 |
Electric |
700 |
36.7 |
9.0 |
Petrol |
1300840 |
2.7 |
0.9 |
Hybrid |
3910 |
46.0 |
19.6 |
Unspecified |
3656 |
2.2 |
-1.0 |
Total |
1801258 |
4.0 |
1.1 |
Source: Experian’s MarketView Online and the DVLA
Age |
Q3 2010
|
% change from Q3 2009 |
% change from Q2 2010 |
0 to 3 |
345085 |
4.1 |
5.4 |
3 to 6 |
389531 |
2.1 |
-0.4 |
6 to 9 |
400208 |
3.6 |
0.3 |
9 plus |
666434 |
5.4 |
0.3 |
Total |
1801258 |
4.0 |
1.1 |
Source: Experian’s MarketView Online and the DVLA
Natalie Hale
Experian PR
0115 992 2645/07971 709274
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.
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.
About Pendragon PLC
Pendragon PLC is the UK's Leading Automotive Retail Network.
The automotive retail outlets trade as Stratstone, Evans Halshaw, Chatfields and Quicks offering a large selection of new and used vehicles. These brands represent over 20 franchises for passenger vehicles, motorcycles, commercials and trucks operating from over 300 retail sites.
For more information, visit http://www.pendragonplc.com