Car Sales Boom in June

The lifting of lockdown has heralded a long-awaited upturn in auto retail activity. Consumers are returning to car showrooms and, as well as taking delivery of pre-ordered vehicles, have also resumed purchasing new cars and, in particular, used vehicles and CVs.

Auto Trader data shows that since showrooms reopened on 1 June, a record number of new car leads have been sent to retailers. Leads have almost doubled compared to 17 March, the week before lockdown.

Marketing Delivery data released exclusively showing a 40% increase in enquiries for 1-15 June, compared to 2019. It is a “very tangible indication that there is life after lockdown” said MD Jeremy Evans.

Dealerweb has seen a 17% increase in used car sales compared to June 2019, in a sample of 800 franchised retailers. Used prestige vehicle sales are up 54% (but new prestige sales are down 58%).

The latest Indicata Market Watch study shows that the UK market had fully rebounded just 10 days after lockdown. Used car sales were actually up 3.4% year-on-year, despite Scottish and Welsh retailers still remaining closed.