British car sales fell at fastest rate for 80 years during Covid-19 year

The number of new cars sold in the UK fell by almost a third last year amid the coronavirus crisis and Brexit.

British new car sales fell nearly 30% last year in their biggest annual drop since 1943 as lockdowns to curb the spread of the coronavirus hit the sector, an industry body said. 

Demand stood at 1.63 million cars in 2020, according to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). It was particularly hard hit by a 97% fall in April, the first full month of a national lockdown. Dealerships in Britain gradually reopened in June.