Consumer motor finance market reports steady growth in February

6 April 2018

New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that new business in the point of sale (POS) consumer car finance market increased 7% by volume and 13% by value in February, compared with the same month in 2017.

New business volumes in the POS consumer new car finance market fell by 2% compared with February 2017, while the value of new business increased by 9% over the same period.

The percentage of private new car sales financed by FLA members through the POS remained steady at 88.5% in the twelve months to February, unchanged on the same period to January 2018.

The POS consumer used car finance market reported new business in February up 11% by volume and 15% by value, compared with the same month in 2017.

Commenting on the figures, Geraldine Kilkelly, Head of Research and Chief Economist at the FLA, said:

The POS consumer car finance market reported steady single-digit growth in February.  Demand from consumers for new car finance continued to reflect trends in private new car sales.  POS consumer car finance new business volumes overall in the twelve months to February were 1% higher than in the same period in 2017 at 2.4 million.” 

 

Table 1: Cars bought on finance by consumers through dealerships

   

New business

Feb 2018

% change on prev. year

3 months to Feb 2018

% change on prev. year

12 months to Feb 2018

% change on prev. year

New cars

           

Value of advances (£m)

923

+9

3,193

0

18,917

+2

Number of cars

50,765

-2

166,558

-7

987,020

-7

Used cars

           

Value of advances (£m)

1,410

+15

3,925

+15

15,884

+13

Number of cars

123,033

+11

336,391

+10

1,384,880

+7

Total cars

           

Value of advances (£m)

2,333

+13

7,118

+8

34,801

+7

Number of cars

173,798

+7

502,949

+3

2,371,900

+1

 

Table 2: Cars bought on finance by businesses

       

New business

Feb 2018

% change on prev. year

3 months to Feb 2018

% change on prev. year

12 months to Feb 2018

% change on prev. year

New cars

           

Number of cars

27,125

-10

83,626

-11

470,894

-3

Used cars

           

Number of cars

3,836

+2

13,164

-27

57,681

+2

 

Note to editors:

  1. In 2017, FLA members provided £128 billion of new finance to UK businesses and households. £96 billion of this was in the form of consumer credit, over a third of total new consumer credit written in the UK in 2017. £44 billion of it supported the purchase of new and used cars, including over 88% of private new car registrations.
  2. For media enquiries, please contact the FLA press office on 020 7420 9656.

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