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Demand for new cars grew by 11.5% last month compared with March 2020, new figures show.
Some 283,964 new cars were registered in the UK last month despite showrooms remaining shut due to coronavirus restrictions, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said.
The year-on-year increase was still 36.9% down on the average March total between 2010 and 2019.
(PA Graphics)
Industry turnover between January and March was down £1.8 billion compared with the same period in 2020.
March is traditionally a strong month for car sales as new number plates are released.
The SMMT said 8,300 registrations a day are needed for the industry to return to pre-pandemic levels by the end of the year.
Scottish new car sales leap by almost a quarter in March April 6 2021, 5.07pm
New car sales in Scotland leapt by almost a quarter last month as the economy began its slow recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Nearly 23,000 new cars were registered in Scotland in March, up from just under 18,500 over the same month last year and representing a bounce of 23.5%
The figures, released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show the biggest increase in sales happened in Strathclyde, where they leapt by 45%.
Tayside dealerships benefited from a 17% boost, with 1,803 cars flying of forecourts.
The picture in Fife was not as rosy, however. The kingdom was one of only two Scottish regions (along with Dumfries and Galloway) to see sales fall. They were down just over seven percent, from 1,119 to 1,037.