Volkswagen Golf Leads European Growth

(Friday 21 October 2011)

The third quarter of 2011 saw an increase in car sales across Europe of 1.4% compared with the same period in 2010, according to research published by JATO Dynamics.

There are several explanations for this upturn, including increased car-buying activity in Germany and growth of around 60% in each of the Baltic countries.

On the subject of Germany, that company's manufacturers are enjoying a period of success unmatched by those of any other country. Volkswagen is the poster child for this trend, not only continuing to lead the manufacturer's table but striding well ahead of all its rivals after a sales increase of 15.1%. The statistic from JATO is that 400,001 VWs were sold in the period, with Ford a distant second on 250,970.

The Golf is the most popular individual model by a similar margin, with 119,409 units shifted between the start of July and the end of September. Next up is the Polo on 83,648, with the UK-leading Ford Fiesta third on 77,948.