UNCERTAIN market conditions across Europe have dented new car sales for the year, latest figures show.

Cumulative figures for the first 10 months of the year in Europe are down by 0.3% to 12,978,983 units, from 13,016,122 units for the same period the previous year.

A total of 14 countries posted growth, ranging from +46.2% in Latvia to +1.1% in Luxembourg, and nine reported losses, ranging from -0.2% in Austria to -27.3% in Poland.

A spokesman at the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), which produced the figures, said: ‘While the EU-15 (+0.3%) remains on a positive trend, EFTA countries (-1.4%) and new EU member states (-10.9%) continue to post year-to-date losses, although reduced.’

New car sales

Country		Jan-Oct 05		Jan-Oct 04		Variance
Austria		267,974		268,621		-0.2%
Belgium		423,955		426,467		-0.6%
Denmark		120,737		97,748		+23.5%
Finland		132,406		126,606		+4.6%
France		1,726,417		1,665,923		+3.6%
Germany		2,788,224		2,700,316		+3.3%
Greece		238,817		253,719		-5.9%
Ireland		169,474		151,696		+11.7%
Italy		1,912,331		1,942,079		-1.5%
Luxembourg		42,689		32,228		+1.1%
Netherlands		423,193		436,517		-3.1%
Portugal		172,235		165,301		+4.2%
Spain		1,279,654		1,262,626		+1.3%
Sweden		224,683		215,147		+4.4%
UK		2,124,377		2,250,822		-5.6%
EU15		12,047,157		12,005,816		+0.3%
Iceland		15,605		10,160		+53.6%
Norway		90,788		92,814		-2.2%
Switzerland		219,799		227,781		-3.5%
EFTA*		326,192		330,755		-1.4%
Czech Republic		106,688		104,131		+2.5%
Estonia		16,591		14,013		+18.4%
Hungary		162,218		169,915		-4.5%
Latvia		13,248		9,062		+46.2%
Lithuania		8,564		7,685		+11.4%
Poland		200,061		275,316		-27.3%
Slovakia		46,924		45,880		+2.3%
Slovenia		51,340		53,549		-4.1%
EU (new members)		605,634		679,551		-10.9%
EU**		12,652,791		12,685,367		-0.3%
Total Europe (EU+EFTA)		12,978,983		13,016,122		-0.3%

*European Free Trade Association
** excluding Malta and Cyprus