Car Sales Drop in Italy, France, Spain

Automakers sold 233,500 passenger and commercial vehicles in France last month, down 22% from March 2011, according to the CCFA automaker group.

France's sales in March dropped 24% to 197,000 units for passenger vehicles and 12% to 36,500 units for commercial vehicles. Sales a year earlier had been boosted by government scrappage incentives.

Demand in France fell 33% to 59,300 vehicles at PSA Peugeot Citroen and 30% to 42,900 units at Renault.

In Italy, sales tumbled 27% to 138,100 vehicles last month, according to the country's transport ministry. Fiat Group sales plunged 36% to 36,000 vehicles, and its market share fell to a 32-year low of 26% from 28.3% in February.

The declines were caused by Italy's weak economy, higher taxes and a trucking strike that disrupted vehicle deliveries, according to industry group UNRAE.

In Spain, sales fell 5% to 84,400 vehicles in March, says Industry group ANFAC. The organization says car sales dipped 2% to 204,100 units in the first quarter of 2012, eroded by the country's recession.