Spain's car sales down by 13.9% in March

MADRID - Sales of new cars in Spain fell by 13.9 percent in March 2013 in comparison with the same month of 2012, data from the country's industry associations showed on Monday.

According to figures from the Association of Car Manufacturers, the Federation of Car Dealers' Associations of the Automotive sector and the Association of Car Dealers, a total of 72,677 new cars and vans were sold in Spain in March.

Among all, about 29,000 cars were bought by private individuals, down 8.2 percent year-on-year. The figure could have been lower without the Plan PIVE 2 implemented by the Spanish government, which offers 2,000 euros for prospective buyers who already owned a car of 10 years or older to purchase a new and more ecological car.

In the first three months of 2013, some 180,000 new cars and vans were sold in the country, down 11.5 percent year-on-year.

The associations of the Spanish automobile sector said the number of car registrations was being affected by the economic crisis which had hit disposable income and also the ability to get the credit necessary to buy a new car.

A total of 699,589 cars were sold for the entire year of 2012, the lowest figure since 1989.