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There were 141,583 new cars registered across the UK in April, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said. That dwarfed the total of 4,321 recorded in the same month in 2020, when the UK was in a full coronavirus lockdown. Picture: Lisa Ferguson
It recently raised its forecast of the number of new cars which will be registered this year to 1.86 million, up from the prediction of 1.83 million it issued in February.
The industry body said this is because “the economic backdrop has improved noticeably over the recent weeks on the back of successful vaccine rollout”.
An annual total of 1.86 million would represent a 14.1 per cent increase on last year, but a 20.2 per cent decrease on average annual registrations between 2010 and 2019.
The motoring industry showed shoots of recovery in April with dealers posting strong sales despite showrooms being shut for half of the month.
A total of 141,583 new cars were registered in April, an artificial 30-fold increase on the same month a year ago, when dealerships were forced to shutter their businesses.
Showrooms were given the green light to open on 12 April as part of the most recent easing of lockdown rules, increasing demand and bringing registrations up to 12.1 per cent behind where they were in April 2019, with public demand driving the rebound.
Road to recovery: April registrations show signs of pent-up demand and the new car market rebounding, driven by the reopening of showrooms last month
Direct Line Group has blamed fewer people driving during the pandemic for a hit to the money it took in premiums in its first quarter.
The insurer, which owns the Direct Line and Churchill brands, saw gross written motor insurance premiums tumble 10.6% to £367.3 million in the first three months of the year.
It said premiums were affected by trends in the wider market, with fewer claims, a drop in new car sales and fewer new drivers taking to the roads.
Companies such as Direct Line and Sabre Insurance are both offering chunky yields
But it said the 5% drop in overall average premiums in the first quarter was better than the performance in the market.