European new car registrations for October totalled 1,002,167 units, signalling a year-on-year decline of 4.6% according to information supplier Jato.
Between January and October, sales stood at 10,743,205, compared to 11,571,638 in 2011, a year-on-year drop of 7.2%.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Access deeper industry intelligence
Experience unmatched clarity with a single platform that combines unique data, AI, and human expertise.
Although car sales are still shrinking, the rate of decline has slowed, with several markets which posted an average decline year-to-date managing to post some growth in the month.
Greece, for instance, saw October sales rise 1.6% year-on-year despite an overall decline between January and October of 40% compared to 2011.
As has been the case previously, UK car sales compare well with the European average with 12.1% growth in October and 5.0% growth from January to October compared to last year.
Best-selling models
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataDespite a sales decline of 10% year-on-year, the Volkswagen Golf remained the best-selling model over the year, with year-to-date sales totalling 373,076.
Of the top ten brands, only Mercedes-Benz and Audi posted any growth compared to last year. Mercedes-Benz sales were up 9.8% for October and 5.5% year-to-date. Audi sales were up 3.7% for October and 1.0% year-to-date.
