The number of second-hand cars being licensed in the State has more than doubled over the last two years, according to figures released by the Central Statistics Office yesterday.
To date this year, 41,167 second-hand vehicles have been registered, compared to 17,428 two years previously and 28,748 by this time last year. In last month alone, the first licensing of second-hand private cars increased by 1,665 compared to June of last year.
The growing trend in second-hand car licensing has been attributed by the CSO to the importation of specialist cars from the Continent and the decision by people moving to Ireland from accession countries to re-register their cars here. One of the most popular makes of second-hand cars to be registered last month was BMW, which accounted for some 472 newly-registered cars.
Overall, the number of vehicles licensed last month increased by over 10 per cent when compared with the same month in 2005.
In addition, there were 15,048 new private cars licensed last month, compared with 14,942 in June of last year.
Toyota, followed by Volkswagen, Ford, Nissan, Opel and Peugeot, proved the most popular makes of car among the buying public.
To date this year, all new vehicles registered, inclusive of private and goods vehicles, came to 167,731, compared to 154,059 this time last year.