In total, 1,106,845 new cars were recorded in the region.. May 2012 counted on average one working day less than May 2011. Five months into the year, new registrations amounted to 5,442,326 units, or 7.7% less than in the same period last year. 

In May, most markets shrank, leading to an overall 8.7% downturn. The major ones faced contractions ranging from 4.8% in Germany to 8.2% in Spain, 14.3% in Italy and 16.2% in France. Only the UK posted growth (+7.9%).

From January to May, registrations slightly increased in two of the most significant markets, with the German stable at +0.3% and the British recording +2.6%. Elsewhere, demand dropped, by 7.3% in Spain, and more severely in France (-17.2%) and Italy (-18.9%) .