Traders upbeat as new car sales rise 25%

The sales of new cars rose by more than 25% in the first three months of this year, with the motor trade on target to experience its strongest sales since 2008.

Latest results show a 26% increase on last year, according to figures released by both the Society of the Irish Motor Industry and car history investigators Motorcheck.ie. Both cite an improved economy and more readily available finance as the biggest contributors to the increase.

At the end of the first quarter of 2014, 50,000 new cars were registered, with the first quarter of this year outperforming all other periods since 2008.