Germany leads new car sales in Europe

(AFP PHOTO / Prakash SINGH)

German consumers were the only ones in Europe's major car markets to purchase more new cars last month, figures released this week have showed.

German automotive association VDA said that sales rose ten percent year-on-year in July, making it one of the few regions where consumers are spending money on new cars.

However, as has been the case throughout this year, German consumers showed a preference for their own brands, with sales growth among foreign-made models staying virtually flat.

In Great Britain, the number of new cars sold fell by 3.5 percent, a figure carmakers' association the SMMT said reflected subdued consumer confidence.

It was the 13th successive month of sales declines in Britain, the SMMT noted.

The story was the same in France, where sales dipped 5.9 percent, the fourth consecutive month of declines - although analysts noted that the dip appeared to be weakening in its intensity.

Spanish sales fell by four percent, figures showed, while Italian sales were down by just under 11 percent.