Europe car sales up 63% in March

Car sales in Europe spiked in March, thriving despite virus constraints and making up for a dismal sales record last year.

According to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, new car registrations increased 63% for the month of March, erasing the early-year fall to leave sales up 0.9% for the quarter.

ACEA furthered that March tends to be a seasonally strong time of year for Europe’s auto industry, so registrations were still about 13% below what the industry averaged for the month in the decade before the pandemic.

In Italy, car sales surged near 500% in March, albeit 12% short below its pre-pandemic levels as virus-related restrictions repressed economic activity.

Along with Italy, which recorded a 29% rise in sales, is France with a 21% increase in the first quarter. Meanwhile, new car registrations in Spain, Germany, and the U.K. declined 15%, 6.4%, and 12%, respectively.