Car sales in the European Union rose in 2014 for the first time in six years, according to the industry trade association ACEA.
Sales were up 5.7% to 12,550,771, fuelled by government scrappage schemes and wholesale orders from companies.
There was also a shift in sales to cheaper brands, with Dacia and Skoda reporting some of the biggest sales rises.
Spain and the UK saw a sales jump in 2014, up 18% and 9.3% respectively.
The ACEA said in a statement that in December sales rose 4.7% year-on-year, the 16th consecutive monthly rise.
However, the industry remains cautious about growth this year, as many incentive schemes and tax breaks are being ended.
Carlos Ghosn, chief executive of Nissan-Renault, said this week at the Detroit Motor Show that he expects European growth this year to be slow, at around 1%-2%.
Peter Fuss, an automotive analyst at business services group E&Y, said in a research note on Friday that he expected 2015 sales to be about 3% higher.
via BBC
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