3 Feb 2015

New vehicle sales strong

4:04 pm on 3 February 2015

A vehicle expert said having more new cars on the road is a good thing, with sales of new vehicles last month being the strongest ever for any January.

Figures from the Motor Industry Association show that for the first time, more than 11,000 new vehicles were registered in the month of January - 1000 more than the previous January.

Editor of car review website DogandLemon.com Clive Matthew-Wilson said having more new vehicles was beneficial.

"This is not necessarily a bad thing, to have more new cars on the road. They will help ease the transition from old bombs to relatively newer and safer, less-polluting vehicles."

Mr Matthew-Wilson said it was no surprise people were buying new cars given the booming economy.

Motor Industry Association Chief Executive David Crawford said the month outperformed industry forecasts.

"The January turnout for 2015 is outstanding. It, in reality, exceeds most industry participants expectations. It's the first time on record there has been more than 11,000 new vehicle registrations."

Mr Crawford said sales were strong for both passenger and commercial vehicles.

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