Car Sales in France Drop 15%

Demand for new passenger cars in France fell 15% to 129,300 units in August, according to trade group CCFA.

But the decline compares with abnormally high volume last year, when sales soared 40% as carmakers rushed to sell off inventories ahead of the new WLTP (worldwide harmonized light vehicle test procedure).

Sales for the year through August totaled 1.47 million vehicles, down 3% from the same period in 2018.

CCFA says deliveries of light commercial vehicles in France were up 6% for the first eight months of the year but flat in August.