The Italian new car market saw another consecutive bumper month of registrations during August, and Fiat Group was able to ride on this - and outperform the market - as all three of its major brands posted positive year-on-year gains. The data which revealed that a total of 103,750 vehicles were sold across Italy last month, a 6.77 pct year-on-year rise, was issued this week by automotive body UNRAE.

However, with 33,065 vehicles registered during August - traditionally a quiet month for sales on the Italian market - compared to 30,653 during the same month a year ago, Fiat Group Automobiles was up by a useful 7.89 pct year-on-year, and in the process outperforming the overall market by more than a percentage point. With the Fiat brand grabbing a 24.2 pct overall share of the market during August, Lancia taking 4.63 pct and Alfa Romeo weighing in with 2.9 pct, the dominant Italian carmaker was able to increase its total share year-on-year from 31.55 to 31.88 pct.

The Fiat brand (including the Fiat Professional arm) turned in the best results in the division with 25,109 unit sales last month compared to 22,976 in August 2006, putting it up 9.28 pct year-on-year. Lancia saw sales of 4,808 vehicles during August compared to 4,591 during the same month a year ago, putting it up 4.73 pct, while Alfa Romeo was up by 1.88 pct with sales of 3,093 cars compared to 3,036 during August 2006. Of the Group's specialist sports/luxury-orientated brands Maserati sold 28 of its cars and Ferrari 27.

For the year-to-date Fiat Group has sold 547,742 vehicles compared to 497,666 during the first eight months of last year, a 10.07 pct year-on-year rise which sees its share of the total market now standing at 31.55 pct compared to 30.75 during the same period of 2006. Of this the Fiat brand, takes the lions share, accounting for 418,119 sales YTD, and is up 11.15 pct year-on-year.
 

Lancia has amassed 75,515 units sales YTD, up 7.47 pct, while Alfa Romeo has 53,212 unit sales YTD and has climbed to 5.71 pct. Of the smaller brands Ferrari has shifted 455 of its sports  cars YTD while Maserati now stands on 419 units.

The best selling car in Italy last month was unsurprisingly the Punto (combining the Grande Punto and the outgoing Punto models) with 8,322 sales, taking it to an impressive 159,846 units for YTD. The Panda comfortably held onto its second place during August (6,934) and for YTD (122,134). The Lancia Ypsilon was placed fifth after racking up 2,862 sales (49,334 YTD) while the new Fiat 500 made its first appearance in the Italian top ten, in eighth place (2,371).

While Panda dominated A-segment and did Punto likewise in B-segment, in C-segment the new Fiat Bravo (1,886) was in second place to the VW Golf (2,324). The Alfa 147 was placed fourth (1,217) just one place ahead of the Sedici (1,169). For the YTD the Bravo has notched up 27,999 sales in Italy while the Alfa 147 is now on 23,001. In D-segment the Alfa 159 (1,618) was just pipped to the top spot by the BMW 3-series but retained its position as the best seller in the segment YTD (24,024). In the category for station wagons the Alfa 159 Sportwagon (1,145) came out on top while the Fiat Croma was sixth (657). In the small SUV segment the Sedici sold almost double that of its closest rival, the Toyota RAV4; in the small 'monovolume' sector the Lancia Musa (1,709) was on top, while the Doblò (382) held sway in its light commercial segment.