New car sales in Mayo have seen a big jump over the first two months of the year compared to 2013. There were 712 registrations of new cars in Mayo over the two months, up from 566 over the same time last year. There was a similar increase in the number of new light commercial vehicles registered in Mayo, with 109 registered over the first two months of the year compared to 87 in 2013. The number of new heavy commercial vehicles being registered remained pretty much the same so far this year compared to last year, with 11 over the first two months of the year compared to 12 in 2013.
Alan Nolan, the director general of the SIMI (Society of the Irish Motor Industry ) which released the figures, said: "The motor industry is often the first to be affected when there's a downturn and one of the first to come back when the economy improves. Dealers are undoubtedly seeing a lot more confidence among consumers, many of whom have been putting off making large purchases over the last few years. Feedback from dealers confirms that footfall and sales enquiries are holding up well and there is no doubt that it’s the return of consumers to the market, as opposed to business purchasers, that is fuelling the increased business. Better availability of finance for creditworthy consumers combined with improved consumer confidence have helped make this a very good start to 2014 for the industry.”
