European Union car sales slump 16.6 pct in October

Registration of European passenger cars slumped by 16.6 percent in October against the numbers recorded in the corresponding period a year ago, the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) said on Tuesday.

Registrations in the European Union (barring Malta and Cyprus) fell to 1,027,036 units, accounting for a 16.6 percent drop compared to October 2009.

In October, all major markets faced a double-digit downturn, ranging from -18.5 percent in France to -20.0 percent in Germany, -22.2 percent in the UK, -28.8 percent in Italy and -37.6 percent in Spain, which recorded the steepest decrease across the European Union, the association said.

Fiat sales were down 32.9 percent in European Union vehicle sales year-on-year in October, Ford suffered a 29 percent decline, Japan's Toyota saw a 28.7 percent drop while GM group sales fell 19.2 percent.

PSA Peugeot Citroen group sales dropped 19.7 percent and Volkswagen group sales fell 16.6 per cent.

TABLE: Europe Car Sales in October 2010

Countries	October 2010	October 2009	% Chg 10/09	Jan-Oct 2010	Jan-Oct 2009	% chg 10/09
AUSTRIA	28,713	26,694	+7.6	280,173	274,369	+2.1
BELGIUM	43,570	39,726	+9.7	477,567	414,609	+15.2
BULGARIA	1,389	1,531	-9.3	12,698	19,723	-35.6
CZECH REPUBLIC	13,126	14,121	-7.0	138,879	131,869	+5.3
DENMARK	13,379	9,992	+33.9	124,143	91,578	+35.6
ESTONIA	993	449	+121.2	7,264	7,374	-1.5
FINLAND	9,536	7,626	+25.0	97,588	80,236	+21.6
FRANCE	171,950	210,941	-18.5	1,829,440	1,854,963	-1.4
GERMANY	256,775	321,120	-20.0	2,423,627	3,311,886	-26.8
GREECE	7,807	11,725	-33.4	131,038	192,769	-32.0
HUNGARY	3,569	3,366	+6.0	37,289	52,414	-28.9
IRELAND**	3,284	1,530	+114.6	86,741	56,633	+53.2
ITALY	139,740	196,323	-28.8	1,683,119	1,808,905	-7.0
LATVIA	396	218	+81.7	3,905	3,397	+15.0
LITHUANIA	943	493	+91.3	6,270	5,930	+5.7
LUXEMBURG	3,832	4,301	-10.9	43,778	41,163	+6.4
NETHERLANDS	43,920	35,617	+23.3	435,141	351,803	+23.7
POLAND***	30,343	25,245	+20.2	263,562	264,675	-0.4
PORTUGAL	15,347	15,182	+1.1	176,747	128,039	+38.0
ROMANIA	8,281	7,572	+9.4	70,629	96,213	-26.6
SLOVAKIA	6,121	4,459	+37.3	49,858	66,813	-25.4
SLOVENIA	4,741	4,764	-0.5	51,215	47,750	+7.3
SPAIN	61,366	98,404	-37.6	848,555	775,580	+9.4
SWEDEN	26,420	21,783	+21.3	233,162	173,914	+34.1
UNITED KINGDOM	131,495	168,942	-22.2	1,767,154	1,685,981	+4.8
EUROPEAN UNION (EU27)*	1,027,036	1,232,124	-16.6	11,279,542	11,938,586	-5.5
*EU15*	957,134	1,169,906	-18.2	10,637,973	11,242,428	-5.4
EU10*	69,902	62,218	+12.4	641,569	696,158	-7.8
ICELAND	125	76	+64.5	2,697	1,869	+44.3
NORWAY	10,683	10,187	+4.9	105,710	78,825	+34.1
SWITZERLAND	24,133	22,840	+5.7	240,622	219,823	+9.5
*EFTA*	34,941	33,103	+5.6	349,029	300,517	+16.1
**EU27+EFTA***	1,061,977	1,265,227	-16.1	11,628,571	12,239,103	-5.0
*EU15+EFTA*	992,075	1,203,009	-17.5	10,987,002	11,542,945	-4.8