A car dealership based in the north of Scotland recorded a 21% jump in new car sales for the year ending September 30 as the country’s automotive market continues to thrive.
Ness Motors, which has showrooms in Inverness, Elgin and Perth, said Dacias have been particularly popular in the past year, with nearly 50% more of the Romanian motors rolling out of its forecourts.
Its Citroen sales increased by 11.4%, meanwhile.
Ness Motors chairman Scott Lauder, said: “In my 42 years with the company, we’ve never enjoyed such sales growth.
“The main reason for the scale of the increase is the popularity of the Dacia range, which is up 48% year on year with us.”
Scottish car sales have been booming this year.
A total of 41,862 new vehicles were registered north of the border in September, the best return in a decade for that month, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.
The UK as a whole saw an increase of 5.64% for September, with 425,861 vehicles registered – up from 403,136 a year earlier.
Ness Motors, which employs 106 people, will be hoping the rise in sales translates into higher profit margins.
The company’s turnover for 2013 rose 16% year on year to £47million, but its pre-tax profits were down 30% to £205,000.
Ness Motors’ Renault dealerships performed well last year, with sales increasing by £6.8million against 2012.
Mr Lauder is now keen to get Renault’s new models into his showrooms after visiting the carmaker’s Versailles-based plant.
“I have attended a great many such presentations but have never been so impressed as I was during this visit, the new Renault products that will be launched in the next four years are extremely exciting and I am already really looking forward to having these new cars in our showrooms,” he said.