Consumer motor finance market grows by a quarter in January 2014

6 March 2014

Figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show growth of 25% in the number of cars bought by consumers using dealer finance in January 2014, compared with the same month last year. Consumer new and used car finance volumes grew by similar rates – up 24% and 25% respectively.

FLA members’ penetration of the private new car registrations market in the twelve months to January reached 74.5%, equaling the previous peak reported in August 2013.

Commenting Geraldine Kilkelly, Head of Research and Chief Economist at the FLA said: “Today’s figures reflect the latest FLA Motor Finance Confidence Survey for Q1 2014 that found motor finance providers remain optimistic about growth in 2014. The majority of respondents expect retail motor finance for new and used cars to grow by up to 10% over the next twelve months.”

Table 1: Cars bought on finance by consumers through dealerships    
 

Jan-14

% change on prev. year

3 months to Jan 2014

% change on prev. year

12 months to Jan 2014

% change on prev. year

New cars            
Value of advances (£m)

800

+31

2,482

+24

12,200

+28

Number of cars

53,727

+24

160,129

+17

808,200

+20

Used cars            
Value of advances (£m)

877

+32

2,241

+30

8,986

+22

Number of cars

89,426

+25

224,705

+24

933,322

+17

 

Table 2: Cars bought on finance by businesses        
 

Jan-14

% change on prev. year

3 months to Jan 2014

% change on prev. year

12 months to Jan 2014

% change on prev. year

New cars            
Number of cars

30,402

-10

102,351

+11

406,320

+1

Used cars            
Number of cars

4,365

-13

10,860

-20

58,545

-11

Note to editors:

  1. In 2013 FLA members provided £88.3 billion of new finance to UK businesses and households. £65.9 billion of this was in the form of consumer credit, almost a third of all unsecured lending in the UK. And £27.5 billion of it supported the purchase of new and used cars, including almost three-quarters of private new car registrations.

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