European car sales 'drop 25 per cent'
Motor trades
16th December 2008
Sales of new cars in Europe have seen the biggest drop since 1999, new figures show.
According to the European carmakers' association the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA), purchases fell by more than 25 per cent last month, the seventh consecutive drop in sales.
The Republic of Ireland experienced the biggest drop (55 per cent).
Of the largest markets, Spain and UK were the most severely affected, seeing a 49.6 per cent and a 36.8 per cent drop respectively.
Between January and November, there was a 7.6 per cent drop in the west European market.
Sales of new trucks also fell. Volvo announced it will bring truck production to a halt for up to 25 days in the first quarter of 2009, according to the BBC.
Reports from the US suggest that the Bush administration could announce the approval of a bailout package for the country's auto industry as early as tomorrow (December 17th).
