By Friedrich Geiger
German new car registrations rose in December, the latest sign
that the downturn in Europe's largest car market has come to an
end.
Registrations, a proxy for sales, increased 5.4% on the year to
215,320 cars, the Federal Motor Transport Authority said
Friday.
Data from four of the European Union's five largest car markets
indicate that the region's vehicle sales rose in December. In
Germany, France, Italy and Spain, which together account for more
than half of the EU's sales, registrations increased 7.4%.
The data add to hopes that the region's car sales have bottomed
out after a multi-year slump. The German Association of the
Automotive Industry last month predicted western European car sales
to rise 2% in 2014 following four weak years. Some consumers are
becoming more confident as the recession in the euro zone has ended
and unemployment isn't rising further.
However, in the full year 2013 German new car registrations
declined 4.2%.
Among major brands, Volkswagen AG, Adam Opel Gmbh and Ford Motor
Co. did best with registrations increasing by more than a quarter
in December.
The European Automobile Manufacturers' Association is yet to
publish continent-wide registration figures.
Write to Friedrich Geiger at friedrich.geiger@wsj.com