FIGURES released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that the consumer car finance market reported a fall in new business volumes of 12% in December 2020 compared with the same month in 2019.
In 2020 as a whole, new business volumes in this market were 21% lower than in 2019.
The consumer new car finance market reported a fall in new business volumes of 18% in December compared with the same month in 2019. In 2020, new business volumes in this market fell by 25% compared with 2019. The percentage of private new car sales financed by FLA members in the twelve months to December 2020 was 93.2%, up from 91.7% in 2019.
The consumer used car finance market reported a fall in new business volumes of 8% in December compared with the same month in 2019. In 2020, new business volumes in this market fell by 18% compared with 2019.
Geraldine Kilkelly, Head of Research and Chief Economist at the FLA, said: “The lifting of the second national lockdown in England in December contributed to an easing in the rate of contraction in new business in both the consumer new and used car finance market. Despite the restrictions introduced throughout last year as a result of the pandemic, the consumer car finance market provided finance for over 1.9 million cars in 2020 as a whole.
“The vaccine rollout in the UK has improved the outlook for the UK economy in the second half of 2021. Almost two-thirds of motor finance respondents to the FLA’s Q1 2021 Industry Outlook Survey expected some growth in new business over the next year if economic conditions improve.”
| Table 1: Cars bought on finance by consumers through the point of sale | ||||||
| New business | Dec 2020 | % change on prev. year | 3 months to Dec 2020 | % change on prev. year | 12 months to Dec 2020 | % change on prev. year |
| New cars | ||||||
| Value of advances (£m) | 1,104 | -16 | 3,531 | -14 | 15,496 | -21 |
| Number of cars | 45,815 | -18 | 152,951 | -17 | 696,737 | -25 |
| Used cars | ||||||
| Value of advances (£m) | 1,127 | -5 | 3,873 | -7 | 16,116 | -13 |
| Number of cars | 84,193 | -8 | 293,474 | -12 | 1,237,859 | -18 |
| Total cars | ||||||
| Value of advances (£m) | 2,232 | -11 | 7,404 | -11 | 31,611 | -17 |
| Number of cars | 130,008 | -12 | 446,425 | -14 | 1,934,596 | -21 |
| Table 2: Cars bought on finance by businesses | ||||||
| New business | Dec 2020 | % change on prev. year | 3 months to Dec 2020 | % change on prev. year | 12 months to Dec 2020 | % change on prev. year |
| New cars | ||||||
| Number of cars | 25,079 | -20 | 78,877 | -19 | 264,052 | -39 |
| Used cars | ||||||
| Number of cars | 4,139 | 38 | 14,799 | 34 | 60,108 | 9 |
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