European Car Sales Backslide in Midst of Another Virus Wave
- Registrations slump in top markets, led by Spain’s 21% drop
- Bloomberg Intelligence cuts 2020 forecast, sees 25% decline
German new-car registrations dropped 3.6% in October from a year ago.
Photographer: Andreas Gebert/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Car sales fell in Europe’s largest auto markets last month, signaling demand has relapsed in the midst of another wave of the coronavirus cases hitting the region.
German new-car registrations dropped 3.6% in October from a year ago, the country’s Federal Motor Transport Authority said Wednesday. Sales plunged by more than a fifth in Spain, slumped 10% in France and slipped 0.2% in Italy, suggesting the industry will be unable to maintain the surprise growth seen in September.