Sales of new cars in Britain fell in June but the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said it was too early to link that to the Brexit vote.
ADVERTISEMENTSales of new cars in Britain fell in June.
It is only the second month in more than four years that has happened.
They declined by 0.8 percent from June last year.
Industry group the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said it was too early to link the fall in vehicle sales to the referendum result.
But it urged the British government to boost economic confidence to avoid further drops.
Sales in June fell to 255,766 units, the SMMT said, only the second time they have dropped since February 2012.
Registrations fell in October 2015, blamed partly on fewer sales of Volkswagen models in the wake of the diesel emissions scandal.
Record six months for new car market but demand stabilises over second quarter https://t.co/fQdIldbS5kpic.twitter.com/EIrW0QRe35
— SMMT (@SMMT) July 6, 2016
The UK car industry was one of the most vocal supporters of the campaign to stay in the EU because of its export links to the continent.
At the same time we learned the number of shoppers on Britain’s high streets dropped by 3.4 percent in the 10 days following the shock vote for the UK to leave the European Union. That was compared with the same period last year.
Retail data company Springboard said the initial shock of the Brexit vote had put people off shopping.
That tallied with British retailer John Lewis which said on Tuesday that sales growth at its department store chain slowed in the week to July 2.
