Milan, Italy – Sales of new passenger cars in Europe fell 14.5 per cent in October and declined for the sixth consecutive month, according the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA). Overall, the decline from January to October was 5.4 per cent.

Across Europe, new car registrations reached a total of 1,134,031 vehicles in October; from January, the total number was 12,852,387 new vehicles.

All markets in Europe declined in October except for Austria, where sales rose by 4.0 per cent. Sales in Western Europe were down by 15.5 per cent when compared to October 2007, while the U.K. was down 23.0 per cent; Spain was down 40.0 per cent; Italy was down 18.9 per cent; Germany was down 8.2 per cent; and France was down 7.4 per cent.

Market leader Volkswagen Group, including Audi, Seat and Skoda, had a total European market registration drop of 7.6 per cent in October 2008, compared to October 2007. PSA, the second-largest manufacturer, dropped 16.3 per cent, while Ford, the third-largest, dropped 11.9 per cent. Other automakers include the Renault Group, down 19.1 per cent; GM, down 25.2 per cent; the Fiat Group, down 7.9 per cent; BMW, down 10.4 per cent; Daimler, down 16.6 per cent; and Toyota, down 23.6 per cent.