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UK Auto Sales By Brand – December 2011

Brits acquired slightly less than 120,000 new cars in December 2011, down 1.8% from December 2010. Ford surrendered its normal top spot amongst automakers to Vauxhall, sales of which tumbled 5%. Year end numbers have Ford out in front by more than 30,000 units.

The best-selling premium brand in the United Kingdom in December was BMW. Fending off a surging Audi couldn’t have been easy, but the blue and white propeller-badged German brand beat the four rings by 1225 sales. Audi topped Mercedes-Benz by 1495 sales.

Honda, the global whipping boy after a 2011 which never went its way, finished December in 18th spot, behind Land Rover, Skoda, and Mini. That’s not a good thing. Honda sales were down 41% in the UK in December. 

In the key two-player battles, Hyundai easily beat Kia. The same could not be said for Hyundai in November. Aston Martin topped Bentley by two cars in the battle of British execu-cars. As for VW underlings, Skoda beat Seat. Among the French, Peugeot nipped Renault; Citroen was third in that group.

Now that December’s numbers are here, 2011’s year-to-date figures take on greater importance. Scan through the table, enlarge the market share chart, and then start examining the 2011 year end UK auto sales figures.

Rank
Automaker
December 2011

Change
Year To Date
YTD 
% Change
#1
Vauxhall
15,782
– 4.6%
234,710
– 5.1%
#2
Ford
14,689
+ 5.3%
265,894
– 5.2%
#3
Volkswagen
10,549
– 2.6%
179,290
+ 2.7%
#4
BMW
7535
+ 2.2%
116,642
+ 6.6%
#5
Audi
6310
+ 24.3%
113,797
+ 14.0%
#6
Nissan
5789
– 9.6%
96,269
+ 7.4%
#7
Toyota
5495
+ 13.2%
73,589
– 15.8%
#8
Hyundai
5422
+ 74.5%
62,900
+ 1.9%
#9
Mercedes-Benz
4815
– 9.6%
81,873
+ 9.2%
#10
Peugeot
4643
– 24.9%
94,989
– 13.1%
#11
Renault
4548
– 24.3%
68,449
– 28.4%
#12
Mini
4278
– 10.4%
50,138
+ 14.2%
#13
Citroen
4030
+ 13.3%
68,464
– 6.6%
#14
Skoda
2878
– 0.6%
45,061
+ 9.3%
#15
Land Rover
2747
+ 22.9%
37,637
+ 1.0%
#16
Kia
2509
+ 1.8%
53,615
– 4.5%
#17
Seat
2485
+ 21.9%
36,089
+ 9.6%
#18
Honda
2261
– 40.9%
50,577
– 20.5%
#19
Fiat
2203
– 22.4%
41,612
– 21.6%
#20
Volvo
2001
– 14.2%
32,657
– 12.8%
#21
Mazda
1635
– 33.1%
31,219
– 31.3%
#22
Suzuki
1222
– 23.1%
20,295
– 5.5%
#23
Jaguar
813
– 25.6%
13,787
– 16.0%
#24
Porsche
718
+ 17.1%
6382
– 5.9%
#25
Chevrolet
705
– 21.1%
12,524
– 8.4%
#26
Lexus
683
+ 213%
8269
+ 33.3%
#27
Alfa Romeo
608
– 43.6%
11,563
+ 30.9%
#28
Mitsubishi
469
– 45.2%
9843
– 19.4%
#29
smart
335
– 24.4%
5044
– 34.1%
#30
Jeep
213
+ 14.5%
2146
+ 3.3%
#31
Subaru
131
– 66.8%
2634
– 32.4%
#32
MG
111
+ 1010%
360
+ 27.7%
#33
Chrysler
109
+ 19.8%
1182
– 15.1%
#34
Abarth
78
– 10.3%
1291
– 9.4%
#35
Aston Martin
53
– 25.4%
1024
– 5.2%
T36
Bentley
51
+ 6.3%
1037
+ 4.4%
T36
Ssangyong
51
+ 1600%
194
– 19.8%
#38
Infiniti
34
– 22.7%
382
+ 64.7%
#39
Perodua
21
– 43.2%
543
– 28.7%
#40
Proton
21
– 44.7%
446
– 41.9%
#41
Maserati
18
– 30.8%
388
– 14.9%
#42
Lotus
10
– 80.4%
329
– 43.0%
#43
Saab
8
– 98.9%
4138
– 29.8%

Source: Automakers & MTI & SMMT 
Red font indicates declining year-over-year sales, bold equals a so-called premium brand

UK auto brand market share chart December 2011
CLICK CHART FOR LARGER VIEW

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