European Lockdowns Knock Car Sales Into Record Monthly Drop
- Car registrations across all markets plummet because of virus
- Auto industry hopes worst is soon over after rebound in China
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European car sales virtually stopped in April, dropping the most on record after the coronavirus halted production and closed dealerships from Spain to Germany.
Passenger vehicle registrations in the European Union, the European Free Trade Association and the U.K. fell 78% year-over-year. Companies sold just 292,182 cars -- the lowest number since data-gathering began in 1990, and a further drop from March, itself a month of plummeting sales, the European Automobile Manufacturers Association said Tuesday.