Vauxhall Shows Fastest Growth in Retail Sector

LUTON, UNITED KINGDOM – Apr 6, 2012: Vauxhall showed the biggest leap in year-on-year retail sales last month, with 3701 more cars sold than in March 2011, according to analysis released today by the Society of Manufacturers and Traders.

The figures lift Vauxhall’s retail share by 1.46 percentage points and reveal its growing appeal to private buyers, with cars like the recently launched Astra GTC dominating its class in the retail sector with 1,773 sales in March.

But March wasn’t a flash in the pan for Vauxhall’s retail performance. In the first quarter of 2012, the company also made the biggest increase in year-on-year retail sales by volume, with 3,211 more cars being purchased versus the same period in 2011.

“The tide is turning for Vauxhall,” said Duncan Aldred, the company’s Chairman and Managing Director. “We’re no longer perceived by private buyers as a company that concentrates on fleet cars alone, and our 2012 retail figures are proof of this. We intend to capitalise on this success through the year, with upcoming cars like the Mokka SUV and Junior reinforcing our retail position still further.”

In addition to the Astra GTC, Vauxhall has already launched two new models in the last three months - the Zafira Tourer and groundbreaking Ampera – both of which are incremental to the company’s existing car ranges. The Ampera E-REV (Extended-Range Electric Vehicle) was voted European Car of the Year 2012 last month and is set to revolutionise public perception towards electric cars.