Credit crunch hits Euro car buyers
* Europe hit harder than UK * New car sales fall 54.6% in Ireland * Euro market falls by 5.4%...
The credit crunch is hitting UK new car sales hard, but if there is a crumb of comfort, it's that sales in continental Europe are falling more quickly.
New car sales in Europe fell by 14.5% in October, the sixth monthly fall in a row, according to ACEA, the European car makers' association.
Car sales in Ireland and Spain were the worst-affected, plummeting 54.6% and 40% respectively, in October. New car registrations in the UK were down by 23% for the same period.
ACEA's cumulative figures for the European car market, from January to October, show a fall of 5.4%, which has been blamed on the financial and economic downturn.
Best estate cars 2024 – the top choices for luggage capacity
An estate car needs to be practical, but the best models are also comfortable, well equipped and affordable to run. Here we reveal our top 10 buys – and the estates to steer clear of