• New car registrations fell 30.9 percent in
January to 112,087 units. Diesel market share rose 0.7 percentage
points to 45.6 percent – its second-highest rate ever. The market
is expected to decline by a fifth in 2009 to 1.72 million
units.
• Car registrations in Western Europe plummeted
18.75 percent to 837,071 in December, reflecting the impact the
downturn is having on consumer demand.

• The Commercial Vehicle Show, due to be held at
Birmingham NEC in April, has been cancelled due to lack of
support.

• Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn believes the global car
market could shrink by 14 percent this year because of the
downturn. Speaking at a Global Competitive Forum in Riyadh, Saudi
Arabia, Ghosn said he expected more consolidation in the automotive
industry and recovery would not happen before 2011.

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• Ford and Vauxhall have both said their UK car
prices are going up, despite falling sales and news of government
measures to support the sector. They both blame the weakness of the
pound – much of their manufacturing is carried out in the Eurozone,
so sales in pounds are worth less to them. Ford is putting up the
prices across its range by an average of 4.7 percent. Vauxhall is
increasing the prices of all models except the Vectra and VXR8 by
an average of just under 5 percent.

• There are no guarantees that all the main
European carmakers will survive the economic downturn, according to
the EU’s Industry Commissioner. In a stark warning, Günter
Verheugen also said the outlook for the European car industry was
“brutal”.

• The government is looking at a proposal to pump
money into the finance arms of the motor industry. Lord Mandelson
said the British car sector was weak but did not need a
bail-out.

“The government is looking at a number of ways of
helping the industry. One of the ideas that is being looked at is
to help out the finance arms. We are looking at that to see whether
it’s the best use of resources,” he said.

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Ken Clarke, Conservative shadow minister, said that
recapitalising motor finance providers should be the government’s
priority.

“The credit crunch is actually stopping the finance
arms of car companies providing that finance and that’s the only
thing [the government] should have concentrated on [with its
bailout package],” he said.

• The average UK dealer recorded a trading loss in
2008, the first annual loss in a decade, according to the latest
national motor trade profitability figures.

• Car sales at auction are beating the odds and
remaining strong in early 2009 despite wider economic gloom,
according to the RMIF’s Society of Motor Auctions . Car dealers
looking to replenish their used car stock to meet consumer demand
are helping to promote sales at motor auctions across the UK.