NEW car sales are continuing to rise sharply, with figures for July recording a 19 per cent increase on the same month last year. Sales figures from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) show that, in the first eight months of the year, new car sales are running more than 33 per cent ahead of the same period in 1995.

According to SIMI chief executive, Mr Cyril McHugh, the demand for new cars has remained high throughout the year, with 9,809 cars sold in July compared with 8,269 in the same month last year.

Sales of commercial vehicles are also up, with sales of heavy goods vehicles up 10 per cent on last year, according to the figures.