New car sales in Spain fell 0.4 percent year-on-year in December, the National Carmakers' Association ANFAC said on Monday, while for the whole of 2005 they rose 0.8 percent to 1.53 million. Four wheel drive vehicle sales were stronger, with a rise of 20.6 percent in December alone and of 22.1 percent for the whole of 2005.
Signals about the strength of consumer spending have been erratic in recent months. The data follow a 4 percent drop in car sales in November and an almost 10 percent slide in October but a 5 percent rise in September. The government forecasts household spending growth, one of the main motors of Spain's economic growth, will slow to 3.5 percent this year from 4.2 percent in 2005.
Spain's car production, 80 percent of which is for export, is not looking so healthy.