Total Western European new car registrations in October were just 0.3% down on the same month of 2002 at 1,179,024 units, reports the ACEA, noting that the number of selling days were identical last month and a year earlier, except in Austria. The decline was marginally smaller within the EU 15 markets at –0.2%. Cumulatively, the Western European car market was 1.3% down in the first ten months of this year compared to last, and 1.2% down in the EU 15.

The ACEA commented: “The basically flat result seems to point towards a stabilisation of the market, in line with most economic indicators”.

European market leader VW Group's sales were 3.2% down on October 2002, and its share slipped from 18% to 17.9%. Group sales were down 5% in the year to October. Second-placed PSA Peugeot Citroen's volumes were down 6.0% in October, but by 3.2% for the year to October.

Collectively, Japan's manufacturers' sales were up 18.5% in October, and they took 13.1% of the market, while the Korean brands' sales took October share of 3.3%. Renault and BMW registered increased sales, while Ford, Fiat, GM and DaimlerChrysler sales were down, in GM's case too marginally to change its market share. MG Rover sales were 17.9% up, from 9,079 a year earlier to 10,680 in October 2003, representing a European market share of 0.9%.