Strong Growth for Europe’s Car Sales in September

New-car deliveries in four of Europe's biggest markets continued to expand in September, according to local government and trade group reports.

Registrations in Germany rose 5% to 272,500 units last month, reports KBA, the country's motor transport authority. Volume through the first three quarters of 2015 reached 2.41 million units, up nearly 6%.

In France, new-car volume registrations rose 9% to 164,800 vehicles, industry group CCFA reports. Sales for January-September grew 6% to 1.42 million units.

Italy's new-car deliveries jumped 17% to 130,100 vehicles in September, says the country's transport ministry. Deliveries through the first nine months of the year climbed 15% to 1.20 million vehicles.

Registrations in Spain surged 23% to 69,800 units last month, trade group ANFAC reports. Spain's auto market has now surpassed year-earlier levels for 25 consecutive months, thanks largely to a continuing government-industry old-car scrappage incentive. Spain's car sales through the first nine months zoomed 22% to 783,900 vehicles.