Brexit Chills Car Sales in First September Drop Since 2011
- Diesel concerns lead to a 22% plunge in demand for the models
- September a ‘barometer’ of U.K. car market’s health, SMMT says
Traffic travels along the M25 motorway in this aerial photograph taken near Upminster, U.K.
Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
U.K. car demand tumbled 9.3 percent in September, the first decline in the key sales month since 2011, as uncertainty over Brexit and concerns about diesel sapped consumer confidence.
With the drop in September, new-car registrations have slumped for the sixth straight month, the U.K.’s Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said Thursday in a statement. Sales through the first nine months of 2017 declined 3.9 percent to 2.07 million vehicles.