New car market crashes 97 per cent as lockdown shuts showrooms

New car registrations fell to their lowest level since 1946 as the coronavirus outbreak had a devastating impact on the UK car industry.

Data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders shows just 4,321 new cars were registered in April 2020, compared with 161,064 in the same month last year.

That represents a 97 per cent decrease on last year and the worst results for dealerships since just after the Second World War.

SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said the “exceptionally grim” figures were not surprising as the car retail industry has been brought to a virtual standstill by the pandemic and associated lockdown.

Worldwide halt

Car dealerships are among the many businesses forced to close during lockdown, all but halting their business, although some have continued to offer phone and online services.

Car production also stopped almost entirely across the globe due to the pandemic, with manufacturers only now slowly bringing their European plants back online.

The SMMT said that of the 4,321 registered in April, 70 per cent was companies stocking up their fleets, mostly through pre-lockdown orders. Most of the others were sold to help key workers and would have come via wholesalers or direct from the manufacturer rather than from a dealership.

For the first time, Tesla topped the SMMT’s best-sellers list, with 658 Model 3s registered, ahead of 367 Jaguar I-Paces. The perennial best-selling Ford Fiesta was not even in the top 10.