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UK car sales up 11% in May (2013)

The Ford Fiesta (pictured) was again the best selling car in the UK The rise and rise of new car registrations in the UK continues to defy the rest of the economy, with figures up in May 2013 by 11 per cent year on year, and private sales up a massive 20.9 per cent to levels last seen in 2007. It’s the fifteenth month in succession new car registration have risen in the UK, with sales for May at 180,111 and total sales to date in 2013 hitting almost 1 million units, at 948,666. The SMMT think the big jump in private registrations is down to a number of factors, including cars bought under the scrappage scheme now being traded in for a new car, strong incentives from car makers and the promise of new cars offering lower running costs, and they’re probably right, although there are other factors in play too.

New Nissan Micra loses ground in Europe over quality issues and no diesel option

Nissan Micra Sales fall in Europe Nissan trumpeted the new Micra as its ‘Global Compact Car’ in the run-up to its reveal at Geneva last year. And by ‘Global’ they meant ‘Produced in Emerging Markets’. Which is a big change from the last generation Micra which was produced in Sunderland, but a move that seemed to make sense in a world where small cars in emerging markets are a priority, and where cost of production is much lower.

Ferrari F70 (new Enzo) 2012 debut confirmed

Ferrari F70 - the new Enzo - 2012 debut Ferrari boss Luca di Montezemolo has confirmed the arrival of the new hybrid Enzo – the Ferrari F70 – before the end of 2012. Back in February we were able to report on what we can almost certainly expect from the new Ferrari Enzo (which will probably go back to the F40/F50 model designation as the F70), perhaps most importantly that it will have a hybrid powertrain and be revealed this year. That has now been confirmed by Ferrari boss Luca di Montezemolo as he reported on Ferrari’s sales performance.