UK car sales hit lowest level since 1952

Sales of new cars in the UK tumbled by an annual 89% in May, only slightly less negative than April’s record 97% collapse, as car dealerships remained shuttered by the British government’s coronavirus lockdown.

New registrations of 20,247 units represented the weakest May for UK car sales since 1952, Britain’s Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said.