Berlin - Italian auto sales have bucked the slump in big European auto markets to report a solid gain in car registrations during the first nine months of year, data released Tuesday by the European automobile association (ACEA) showed. Car sales in Italy raced ahead by 6.6 per cent during January to September compared to the same period last year with the nation's leading carmaker Fiat posting a 7.3 per cent surge in sales after it recently launched its new 500 model.
Sales for the Turin-based auto group rose 4.2 per cent month on month in September.
The solid performance of Italy's car market contrasted with a more downbeat performance by other key Western European markets such as Spain, France and Germany.
Overall car registrations in Western Europe fell 2.4 per cent month on month in September, which resulted in car registrations slipping 0.4 per cent during the first nine months of the year.
