STRONG year-on-year van sales growth continued last month with panel van sales up 16.9% and light van sales up 11.5%. Following January's year-on-year increase February van sales in the sub-1.8-tonne category totalled 3,896 (February 2000: 3,493) to take sales for 2001 to 10,041 in total.

Meanwhile sales in the 1.8 - 3.5-tonne category, which includes panel vans, totalled 6,870 last month (February 2000: 6,668) to take sector sales for the year to 17,605, up from 16,792 in the first two months of last year. Ford sales in both sectors were strong with combined sales totalling 3,985 last month up from 2,960 in February last year.