Price cuts drive up Euro car sales again

European car sales rose for the 12th consecutive month, as price cuts by manufacturers and demand for compact models from Ford and Volkswagen led to the longest stretch of growth on record.

Registrations increased 1.8% in August to 701,118 vehicles from 688,464 a year earlier, the Brussels-based European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), said yesterday. The growth, the slowest this year, pared sales gains in the eight months through August to 5.8%.

Demand for cars in Europe is reviving from a two-decade low last year.