Fiat Auto's relentless pan-European market sales comeback continued during July and August with all three of the Auto Division brands posting healthy gains against a difficult backdrop which saw the overall European new car market contracting year-on-year. Data released on Friday morning by automotive manufacturer body ACEA this time also covers July as well as August, the release of the sales figures for the former month having been delayed due to the summer holiday period.

July and August in fact saw the Western European new car market - counting the fifteen European Union (EU) member nations plus the EFTA signatories - contracting during both months: July was down 4.5 pct year-on-year, with 1,161,828 registrations as opposed to 1,216,964 a year ago; while August slipped 1.5 pct, with 831,027 registrations as opposed to 843,510 during the equivalent period in 2005. Against this uncertain backdrop Fiat Auto once again bucked the overall trend, the resurgent Italian carmaker continuing to outperform the overall market, as it has done so all year.

July saw the Fiat Group up by 7.0 pct year-on-year, with 92,565 new registrations compared to 86,523 last year, moving their overall market share up from 7.1 pct to their target figure of 8.0 pct. Splitting the brands up, Fiat (including LCV) was - as usual - the best performer, up 9.9 pct on July 2005, with 70,300 units registered compared to 63,941 a year ago. This put the Fiat brand's overall European-wide share up by 0.8 pct to 6.1 pct. Lancia meanwhile had a difficult July, down 8.1 pct year-on-year, with 9,457 units sold compared to 10,285 a year ago. Their overall share though remained unchanged at 0.8 pct. Alfa Romeo continued to build on a recent positive run, up 4.0 pct with 12,310 new cars sold as opposed to 11,834 in July 2005. This raised their share of the overall market by 0.1 pct to 1.1 pct.

Meanwhile the positive run also continued through the traditionally quiet August month, as Fiat Auto was up 16.5 pct year-on-year, with 54,324 new vehicles registered compared to 46,639 in August 2005. The Fiat brand (inc LCV) registered the biggest gain of the month with an 18.0 pct year-on-year rise as 40,839 new vehicles were sold as opposed to 34,622 in August 2005. This raised the Fiat brand's overall European market share from 4.1 to 4.9 pct. Alfa Romeo wasn't far behind in terms of year-on-year performance, the Division's 'sporty' arm racking up a healthy 16.6 pct year-on-year rise as its new range of exciting models - the Alfa 159, 59 Sportwagon and Brera - start to gain wider market acceptance. The rise equated to 7,406 registrations, up from 6,354 in August 2005 and its overall market share was up 0.1 pct to 0.9 pct. Lancia was also in positive territory making it an excellent month for the Italian firm, up by 7.5 pct year-on-year, with 5,850 registrations last month as opposed to 5,443 during the equivalent period of 2005.
 

After the first eight months of the year the European new car markets are really struggling to make any worthwhile year-on-year gains with the total market now up just 0.4 pct on the same period of 2005. This equates to 9,947,712 new vehicles being registered so far this year compared to 9,903,400 during Jan-Aug last year. Across the European market Fiat are the best performing carmaking group, up 18.9 pct year on year having sold 771,979 new vehicles during the first eight months, up from the 649,185 they shifted during the same period last year.

None of its bigger rivals come anywhere close to replicating Fiat's performance with on the main European market leader, VW/Audi up 6.8 pct. Meanwhile PSA are down 3.2 pct, along with Ford (-3.0 pct), GM Vauxhall/Opel (-2.7 pct) and Renault (-9.6 pct). Of the carmakers who hold a smaller European position, Toyota (including Lexus) are up by 8.5 pct while Suzuki have put on 17.4 pct, albeit on sales of just 140,319 units.

Fiat Auto's 18.9 pct rise sees its overall European market share climb by a massive 1.2 pct year on year to 7.8 pct, moving them closer to their stated 8.0 pct target. After registering 586,542 new vehicles so far this year compared to 470,937 in Jan-Aug 2005 the Fiat brand is up by 24.5 pct year-on year, with its overall market share up from 4.8 to 5.9 pct. Alfa Romeo too are in highly positive territory, up by 10.1 pct with 99,582 new cars having been sold this year, nine thousand units up on 2005. Lancia are down by 1.8 pct as 82,357 new registrations this year so far is a fall of 1,548 on last year.