Industry braced for consumer rush

Dealers should brace for a new surge in car sales when Britain emerges out of lockdown, according to new research.

Online car supermarket BuyaCar.co.uk found that an overwhelming majority of people will choose to use their own car over other modes of transport when the latest national lockdown restrictions are lifted.

A massive 86.4% say they intend to stick with their own vehicle after lockdown, with just 4.4% saying that they won’t. Those intentions, supported by data from last year, when the ending of Britain’s first lockdown led to an explosion of demand for used cars in particular, signal a busy time ahead for dealers and car buyers alike.

BuyaCar experts also believe that demand for used cars in particular will be boosted by the unusually low mileages on thousands of 2020 cars which have been parked for much of the past 12 months, making them more desirable in contrast with new cars.

Christofer Lloyd, editor of BuyaCar.co.uk, said: “Last year we saw the release of massive pent-up demand at the end of the first lockdown but our latest research suggests that demand will be even higher this year.

“This is because many people are now explicitly stating that they would prefer to use their cars when restrictions are eased, rather than other modes of travel, as the simplest way to ensure effective social distancing.”