New car sales drop 34 per cent in May as scrappage hangover continues

New car sales in Germany fell for the sixth consecutive month in May as the country’s scrappage hangover continued.

Sales fell 34 per cent year on year last month and sales have been steadily declining since scrappage ended in the country back in September.

The figures for the first five months of this year are down 28 per cent year on year in Germany, Europe’s largest market for new car sales.

Mercedes was a particular opponent of the scrappage scheme when it was launched in Germany, claiming it brought forward sales of new cars that would have been sold at a more sustainable rate in the future.

Italian new car sales for May also declined 13.79 per cent.

Join our WhatsApp community and be the first to read about the latest news and reviews wowing the car world. Our community is the best, easiest and most direct place to tap into the minds of Autocar, and if you join you’ll also be treated to unique WhatsApp content. You can leave at any time after joining - check our full privacy policy here.