Fiat Group Automobiles turned in another very positive month of sales across Europe during September, up 4.2 percent year-on-year. With 99,150 unit sales, the Fiat Group retained its comfortable sixth placing overall in terms of manufacturers, against the backdrop of an overall market that was down 1.5 per cent.

Across Europe (counting all the EU member nations plus the four EFTA signatories), 1,420,043 new cars and light commercial vehicles were sold last month, down 1.5 per cent on the result achieved in September last year. Thus, after the first three quarters of the year, the European market stands at 12,249,742 units sold, up 0.8 per cent year-on-year. Due to the vagaries of its registration system, the UK was the biggest national market during September, with 419,290 units sold. This put it up 1.3 percent year-on-year, while Germany took a big hit, down 11 per cent, with 265,473 units shifted. This leaves the largest market having dropped a startling 8 per cent after the first nine months of this year.

With stuttering domestic markets, many of the leading European carmaking groups suffered last month. The biggest group, VW/Audi (259,160 units in September) lost 6.8 per cent year-on-year last month, with all its brands apart from SEAT giving up significant ground. Behind VAG, PSA Peugeot-Citroën were down 3.5 percent, while third-placed Ford gained 1.1 percent. Then came the month's big winner, GM, which was up 6.3 per cent and ahead of French manufacturer Renault, which once again suffered another month of haemorrhaging sales, down 11.3 per cent. Fiat (+ 4.2 percent), Toyota (- 7.2 percent), BMW (+ 3.7 percent) and the newly-rechristened Daimler Group (+ 5.7 percent) completed the fortunes of the big European players last month.
 

With 99,150 sales during September, Fiat Group Automobiles was up 4.5 percent year-on-year (95,199 units in Sep 2006). This raised the Fiat group’s total share of the European market last month from 6.6 to 7.0 per cent. Splitting the brands up, Fiat (including the Fiat Professional LCV division) saw 79,303 units registered last month, up 5.5 percent year-on-year; Lancia recorded 8,868 units, and was up 4.4 percent; while Alfa Romeo, partially suffering from the results of its comprehensive UK overhaul at a point when that market turns in a major month of sales, saw 10,646 units registered, and was down by 4.8 percent. The Fiat brand has raised its overall market share of the European market from 5.2 to 5.6 percent, Alfa Romeo has dropped slightly from 0.8 to 0.7 percent, while Lancia is steady on 0.6 percent.

After the first three quarters of the year Fiat Group Automobiles has seen 964,938 registrations, putting it up 7.3 per cent year-on-year. Fiat is far and away the best performer amongst the ‘Big Nine’ carmaking groups in Europe this year, with BMW its closest rival here, up 4.7 per cent year-on-year.  The only other groups in positive territory after three quarters of the year are GM (+ 2.3 per cent) and Ford (+ 2.1 per cent). For the YTD, Fiat Group Automobiles has raised its European market share from 7.2 to 7.9 per cent. Of the individual brands, Fiat (including Fiat Professional) accounts for 750,000 units YTD and is up 8.4 per cent year-on-year; Alfa Romeo is on 113,513 units YTD (+ 1.3 per cent) and Lancia, 97,112 (+ 6.5 per cent).