Car Sales in Germany Drop 5% on Fewer Selling Days

Registrations of new cars in Germany slid 5% to 325,200 units last month, according to the country’s KBA transport authority.

The decline was because there were three fewer selling days this year than in June 2018. Adjusted registrations grew 7%, as a 2% gain in fleet sales offset a 10% drop in retail sales to private owners, Automotive News Europe reports.

Sales of new passenger vehicles in Germany through the first half of 2019 totaled 1.84 million units, up less than 1% compared with the same period last year.

By brand, unadjusted sales last month rose 1% for BMW and Toyota. But year-on-year volume dropped for Mercedes-Benz, Opel, Skoda and Volkswagen, KBA says.