UK Auto Sales Plunge 36.8% in November

New car registration in the U.K. (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales) fell 36.8% in November to 100,333 units as the recession, or at least the fear for it, drove British buyers away from showrooms. Year-to-date volume in the United Kingdom is down 10.7% from the same period in 2007 to 2,023,104 units. The new Ford Fiesta was the UK's best selling model in November, just ahead of its Focus sibling which remains the best seller over the first 11 months of the year.

"November has been another difficult month for the motor industry and whilst some consumers may have delayed their purchases to take advantage of the recent VAT reductions, overall demand continues to fall," said Paul Everitt, SMMT chief executive. "Urgent action is now required to ease access to credit and finance, both to support consumers and meet the cash-flow needs of the industry."

UK Top ten best sellers November

1. Ford Fiesta - 6,154 units
   
2. Ford Focus - 4,893 units
3. Vauxhall Corsa - 4,442 units
4. Ford Mondeo - 3,739 units
5. VW Golf - 3,052 units
6. Vauxhall Astra - 3,003 units
7. Peugeot 207 - 2,507 units
8. BMW 3 Series - 2,195 units
9. Audi A3 - 2,194 units
10. Vauxhall Vectra - 1,981 units