There were 2,476,435 new cars registered in the UK in 2014, the most in any calendar year since 2004, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
The year was the fourth largest of all time in terms of sales with only sales in 2002, 2003 and 2004 exceeding the figure.
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Total car sales over the year were up 9.3% compared to the total of 2013. New car sales grew 10.8% in 2013, compared to 2012, indicating that overall growth has slowed.
The majority (50.1%) of cars sold in 2014 were diesel. This compared to a market share of 49.8% over the course of 2013.
However it was alternatively fuelled vehicles (AFV’s) which experienced the most rapid year-on-year growth in the period. In 2014 51,739 AFV were sold, up 58.1% compared to the 32,731 AFVs sold in 2013. As such AFV market share grew from 1.4% to 2.1% in this period.
This growth came at the expense of petrol cars, which saw its market share dip from 48.8% over 2013 to 47.8% in 2014. This was despite the number of petrol cars sold growing 7.2% to 1,184,409 in 2014.
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By GlobalDataPrivate registrations grew 9.8% year-on-year in 2014, to 1,179,499. This gave the private sector a 47.6% market share.
Fleet registrations grew 8.7% in 2014, compared to 2013, to 1,178,416. As a result, Fleet registrations also represented 47.6% of all registrations. The remaining 118,520 registrations, or 4.8% of the market, were made up by business car registrations.
By Brand
Ford was the bestselling brand in 2014, with its 326,643 sales representing 13.19% of the market. This was down slightly from the 13.73% recorded in 2013.
However Ford’s closest rival in the UK, Vauxhall, saw its market share grow a greater expense in the period, down from 11.46% to 10.87%. A total of 269,177 Vauxhalls were sold in the UK over 2014.
Volkswagen, the third biggest brand in the UK by volume saw sales increase by 10.69% in 2014 compared to 2013, to 214,828. As a result its market share grew from 8.57% to 8.67%.
Arguably the strongest performing volume manufacturer in 2014 was Renault, which sold 66,334 cars in 2014, up 43.66% on the number sold in 2013.
Tim Smith, head of motor finance, North & Major Groups at Black Horse, said: "The sharp drop in oil prices since June last year has played a positive role in the manufacturing and production of affordable new cars alongside a low interest rate environment for consumers, leading to them feel confident in taking the next step to buying a new car. Showrooms are continuing to work hard to offer good deals, to drive 64 plate cars off their forecourts so we should see a good footfall into dealerships in early January.
Sue Robinson, director of the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) said: "Increased retail demand drove UK sales in 2014 as the UK car market recorded its best performance since 2004. Competitive offers by manufacturers along with strong finance offers boosted sales as consumer confidence returned to the market.
"Car showrooms have reported increased sales activity and interest from consumers looking to replace their vehicles, which is some cases are part of the aging car park or not as fuel or energy efficient as modern vehicles. The NFDA expect the market this year to continue to perform well and to build on the success of 2014."
