Ten Facts from 2012 Car Sales Figures

The SMMT have released new car registration figures for 2012, and compared them with 2011 figures. For some manufacturers the figures make for great reading.  For others they are dire, verging on the terminal.

Here are our top ten facts from the SMMT 2012 sales figures.

1. Ford are shown as having the largest market share with 13.79% of all sales, but actually the combined VW Group has a bigger share, at 17.35%.  Ford sold 281,917 cars in 2012, VW Group sold 354,783.  VW as a brand sold 183,098 cars.
2. Total new car sales in 2012 were 2,044,609, which represents a 5.3% increase in new car registrations over 2011.  This is the highest number of registrations since 2008 and the biggest percent increase over a 12 month period since 2001.
3. MG recorded a 117% increase in new registrations.  360 sales in 2011 - 782 in 2012.  The investment in BTCC cannot come from profits from sales alone.  Expect them to rise further as the diesel comes online.
4. Big rises in sales recorded by British Companies.  Land Rover sold 48,626 cars - a massive 29% increase over 2011.  This year, with the new Range Rover arriving, should show similar gains.  Jaguar recorded a 2.3% increase in sales with 14,109 new registrations in 2012.  Expect the F-Type to inflate this in 2013.  Bentley sold 1,267 cars - a 22.1% increase over 2011.
5. Porsche are another big riser with 7,998 sales in 2012 (someone must have been 2 below target so didn't get their Christmas bonus), which is a huge 25.3% increase over 2011.
6. Mercedes-Benz, Audi and BMW all had a great year.  BMW sold 127,530 cars - a 9.33% increase.  Audi sold 123,622 cars - an 8.6% increase.  Mercedes sold 91.855 cars - a 12.1% increase.
7. Renault are in deep trouble.  Having bet the farm on Electric Vehicles, which aren't selling, they recorded a 40% reduction in sales.  They sold 68,449 cars in 2011 and 40,760 in 2012.  Shocking figures which do not bode well.
8. Despite posting a 1% reduction in sales, Vauxhall still sold 232,255 cars in 2012 and hang on to the number 2 spot behind Ford.  With the ADAM, Mokka and Cascada coming in 2013 expect sales to improve.
9. Subaru, Mitsubishi and Alfa Romeo are in serious trouble.  They all saw huge drops in new car registrations.  Subaru sold 2,023 cars, a 23.2% reduction, Mitsubishi sold 6,549 cars, a 33.5% reduction, and Alfa Romeo sold 7,253 cars, a 37.3% reduction.
10. Lotus sold 329 cars in 2011.  In 2012 they sold 137 cars.  A spectacular drop of 58.4%.  Will Lotus even survive 2013?  The legal bills over the battle for the Lotus name in F1 must have come to more than Lotus make each year.

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