Sales of new cars across Europe rose for the first time in 14 months in June, buoyed by a number of national scrappage schemes.
The European Automotive Manufacturers Association said New registrations across 28 European nations rose by 2.4% last month from a year ago.
Sales across the 28 European countries totalled 1.46 million in June - up from 1.43 million a year earlier.
Germany, one of the first countries to pay drivers to trade in old cars, led the gains, with registrations up 41%.
In Britain, the rate of decline in new car registrations has slowed. New registrations were down 15.7% in June from a year ago compared to a fall of 25% in May.
The UK Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders has thanked the "positive impact" of a British scrappage scheme, which started on 18 May.
