Registration of European passenger cars slumped by 16.6 percent in October against the numbers recorded in the corresponding period a year ago, the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) said on Tuesday.

Registrations in the European Union (barring Malta and Cyprus) fell to 1,027,036 units, accounting for a 16.6 percent drop compared to October 2009.

In October, all major markets faced a double-digit downturn, ranging from -18.5 percent in France to -20.0 percent in Germany, -22.2 percent in the UK, -28.8 percent in Italy and -37.6 percent in Spain, which recorded the steepest decrease across the European Union, the association said.

Fiat sales were down 32.9 percent in European Union vehicle sales year-on-year in October, Ford suffered a 29 percent decline, Japan's Toyota saw a 28.7 percent drop while GM group sales fell 19.2 percent.

PSA Peugeot Citroen group sales dropped 19.7 percent and Volkswagen group sales fell 16.6 per cent.

TABLE: Europe Car Sales in October 2010

Countries

October 2010

October 2009

% Chg 10/09

Jan-Oct 2010

Jan-Oct 2009

% chg 10/09

AUSTRIA

28,713

26,694

+7.6

280,173

274,369

+2.1

BELGIUM

43,570

39,726

+9.7

477,567

414,609

+15.2

BULGARIA

1,389

1,531

-9.3

12,698

19,723

-35.6

CZECH REPUBLIC

13,126

14,121

-7.0

138,879

131,869

+5.3

DENMARK

13,379

9,992

+33.9

124,143

91,578

+35.6

ESTONIA

993

449

+121.2

7,264

7,374

-1.5

FINLAND

9,536

7,626

+25.0

97,588

80,236

+21.6

FRANCE

171,950

210,941

-18.5

1,829,440

1,854,963

-1.4

GERMANY

256,775

321,120

-20.0

2,423,627

3,311,886

-26.8

GREECE

7,807

11,725

-33.4

131,038

192,769

-32.0

HUNGARY

3,569

3,366

+6.0

37,289

52,414

-28.9

IRELAND**

3,284

1,530

+114.6

86,741

56,633

+53.2

ITALY

139,740

196,323

-28.8

1,683,119

1,808,905

-7.0

LATVIA

396

218

+81.7

3,905

3,397

+15.0

LITHUANIA

943

493

+91.3

6,270

5,930

+5.7

LUXEMBURG

3,832

4,301

-10.9

43,778

41,163

+6.4

NETHERLANDS

43,920

35,617

+23.3

435,141

351,803

+23.7

POLAND***

30,343

25,245

+20.2

263,562

264,675

-0.4

PORTUGAL

15,347

15,182

+1.1

176,747

128,039

+38.0

ROMANIA

8,281

7,572

+9.4

70,629

96,213

-26.6

SLOVAKIA

6,121

4,459

+37.3

49,858

66,813

-25.4

SLOVENIA

4,741

4,764

-0.5

51,215

47,750

+7.3

SPAIN

61,366

98,404

-37.6

848,555

775,580

+9.4

SWEDEN

26,420

21,783

+21.3

233,162

173,914

+34.1

UNITED KINGDOM

131,495

168,942

-22.2

1,767,154

1,685,981

+4.8

EUROPEAN UNION (EU27)*

1,027,036

1,232,124

-16.6

11,279,542

11,938,586

-5.5

EU15

957,134

1,169,906

-18.2

10,637,973

11,242,428

-5.4

EU10*

69,902

62,218

+12.4

641,569

696,158

-7.8

ICELAND

125

76

+64.5

2,697

1,869

+44.3

NORWAY

10,683

10,187

+4.9

105,710

78,825

+34.1

SWITZERLAND

24,133

22,840

+5.7

240,622

219,823

+9.5

EFTA

34,941

33,103

+5.6

349,029

300,517

+16.1

EU27*+EFTA

1,061,977

1,265,227

-16.1

11,628,571

12,239,103

-5.0

EU15+EFTA

992,075

1,203,009

-17.5

10,987,002

11,542,945

-4.8

European union Volkswagen Germany Portugal