By Inti Landauro
PARIS--French new vehicle registrations fell in August for a
second consecutive month, according to provisional data issued
Monday by the country's automobile manufacturers' association.
New registrations of personal cars decreased 3% on year in
August to 83,340 units, after a 4.3% decline in July, the
association said in the statement. When adjusted to the number of
working days, new car registrations rose 1.8% during the month.
Despite the two declines in July and August, new registrations
during the first eight months were up 1.7%.
New registrations for France's Renault SA (RNO.FR) decreased 11%
in August compared with the same month last year. France's largest
automotive group, PSA Peugeot Citroen (UG.FR) recorded a fall of
3.1% in new car registrations on year, a decline similar to the one
registered a month earlier.
New car registrations fell 4.7% in 2013 hitting a two-decade low
as consumers were put under pressure by rising taxes, mounting
unemployment and eroding purchasing power in the country. The
French car manufacturers' association has said it expects sales to
bottom out this year and sees the market remaining flat or rising
slightly.
Write to Inti Landauro at inti.landauro@wsj.com
Subscribe to WSJ: http://online.wsj.com?mod=djnwires