DEMAND for new cars dipped in Scotland last month as motorists hold out for the September number plate change.
New car registrations in Scotland for July totalled 13,566 units, down nearly six per cent on July 2014. However, sales of new cars in 2015 as a whole continue to be up slightly on last year.
The results for July follow a bumper June, when new car sales surged 12 per cent year-on-year and a record-breaking March when almost 45,000 new cars were snapped up by Scottish motorists - an all-time high for the month north of the Border.
Sandy Burgess, chief executive of the Scottish Motor Trade Association, said that registration figures did not take account of the delay between an order being placed by a driver and the delivery of a new vehicle - the point at which it is registered.
Mr Burgess suggested motorists may be putting off their purchases to coincide September's new number plates.
He said: "July is also the first month in the approach towards the next peak point in the new car market with the September plate change, [and] when measured year-on-year we are still enjoying some growth over the previous year.
"What is particularly encouraging in this month’s result is that Scotland’s market is continuing to shift towards the private buyer with fleet business share down almost a full percentage point on July last year. This is a trend we have been mapping over the year and it is encouraging to our smaller members, many of whom chose not to compete in the business market.”
In total, 130,029 new cars have been bought in Scotland during the first seven months of 2015, compared to 128,756 during the same period last year.
The most popular make and model of new car in Scotland this year continues to be the Vauxhall Corsa, followed by the Ford Fiesta and Ford Focus.
Sales of high-end vehicles are also up on last year, with 14 Lamborghinis - with price tags starting around £150,000 - sold in Scotland this year, compared to six over the same seven months in 2014. Aston Martin sales have also increased, from 18 to 25, while Bentley dealers have sold 40 new models this year compared to 38 last year. Ferrari has seen a slight dip, from 27 registrations last year to 25 so far in 2015.
Meanwhile, the UK as a whole recorded a "moderate" increase in new car registrations in July, with sales up 3.2 per cent on July 2014.
Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, said: “While more moderate than in recent months, July’s rise in new car registrations is good news, and indicative of what we expect for the remainder of 2015.
"With demand having reached a record high in the first half of the year, we anticipate more stable growth in the coming months.”
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