New car sales rose by 23 per cent to 1,178 in September according to the latest official vehicle registration figures. Car sales in the first nine months of 1997 reached a record high of 105,556 compared with sales of 98,804 in the same period last year.

Volkswagen and Audi models were the biggest sellers this year, with 838 models registered by the end of September. This was followed by Ford (713), Toyota (689), Nissan (559) and Fiat/Lancia (480).