European car industry Tuesday further signs of distress that the new data show that car sales were down 6.6% in the same period last year, the first half of this year.
European Automobile Manufacturers Association ACEA, said there are 6,205,000 new cars registered from January to June, the European Union, providing an industry struggling in a deep recession and high unemployment further grim reading.
Automotive industry also has its worst since June 1996, demand fell by 5.6%, from last year's 113,400 cars. These figures do not include Malta, there is no data, or Croatia, just joined the European Union.
Car registrations fell for the 18 months to April, additional working days created a small rally. But picked up again since the slide.
EU economy recession again, gross domestic product (GDP) fell by 0.1% in the first three months of this year. Unemployment rate is 11%. European car industry overcapacity already struggling in the factories and uncompetitive wages and labor laws, the region's economic crisis has exacerbated these problems, as consumers put off buying big-ticket.
A surprising highlight of Portugal, despite recession in the first half of the year showed a 2.9% sales bump. This may postpone buying a new car for so long, some people are forced to get rid of them now simply the wreckage. In the UK market seems to have gathered steam, an increase of 10% for the year.
But most places clocked deep slide. January to June, registrations fell by 8.1% in Germany, 11.2% in France and 10.3% in Italy. Tiny Cyprus, in March agreed to relief, saw the largest decline, down 42.7% this year.
 



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