Car sales up 30.7 per cent in first four months of the year

The number of new private cars licensed for the first time rose by 30.7 per cent in the year to the end of April, according to new figures from the Central Statistics Office.

The data show there were 51,123 new private cars licensed over the four-month period. The number of used imported cars licensed was 18,154, a rise of 21.8 per cent compared to the same period a year earlier.

The number of new private cars on Irish roads rose 44.9 per cent last month to 11,757, as against 8,113 cars for the same month a year earlier.

There were 1,502 new goods vehicles registered in April 2014, up 33 per cent on April 2013.

Overall, the total number of all vehicles licensed in April 2014 was 20,593, up 32.3 per cent compared with the 15,567 vehicles registered in the corresponding month last year.

Volkswagen was the most popular new private car to be licensed last month, followed by Nissan, Toyota and Ford.

Of the 11,757 new private cars licensed last month, 74.2 per cent were diesel and 24.7 per cent, petrol.