SECOND-HAND CAR MARKET REVS UP

THE SECOND-HAND car market is accelerating again, according to latest figures.

A total of 1.8 million used cars were sold in the period July to September 2010 - a 4% rise on the same period in 2009, statistics from information services company Experian showed.

The summer 2010 figure was 1.1% higher than the figure for the previous three months of April-June 2010.

This was the first time since the beginning of 2006 that the annual and quarterly figures have both risen.

The biggest sellers in summer 2010 were superminis, MPVs and 4x4s, while the best-performing region was south east England, where sales totalled nearly 383,000 - a 8.4% rise on the July to September 2009 figure.

Ford was the top-selling model in summer 2010, accounting for 14% of used-car sales. The individual model which sold the most was the Vauxhall Corsa.

Experian commercial director Joe Myers said: "July to September is historically a slow period for used car sales, which makes this improvement in sales volumes very positive news for the used car industry.

"By taking advantage of market intelligence around car sales, dealers can use the surge in transactions to uncover the latest buying trends and adapt their stock offering to meet market demand and maximise sales opportunities."

By By Peter Woodman, Press Association