VAN sales dipped last month compared to April 1997, but sales of both small vans and panel vans remain well ahead of last year. Last month sales of vans under 1.8 tonnes totalled 6,373 (April 1997: 6,971) with sales for the first third of the year now standing at 28,425 (1997: 27,468). In the 1.8-3.5-tonne sector last month sales were fractionally up at 10,991 (April 1997: 10,763) with total year sales now at 48,120 (1997: 41,516).

All the major manufacturers have seen van sales increase this year, with Citroen recording sales up from 3,652 to 4,339 in the first four months of 1998 against the same period last year, Fiat up from 1,902 to 2,417, Ford up from 28,678 to 29,642, Vauxhall up from 7,942 to 8,584, Iveco up from 993 to 1,256, LDV up from 4,634 to 4,785, Mercedes-Benz up from 4,662 to 6,206, Peugeot up from 3,217 to 3,773, Renault up from 2,321 to 2,876, SEAT up from 472 to 604, Skoda up from 203 to 431, Toyota up from 1,511 to 1,950 and Volkswagen up from 4,790 to 5,683.