LONDON -- UK new-car sales rose by 11.5 percent in March, usually one of the two top selling months of the year.
Registrations were 283,964 after slumping in February, data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) showed on Tuesday.
March registrations were still about 37 percent below the average for the month from 2010-2019.
March is one of two annual occasions when the license plate series changes, spurring demand.
Many dealers have been using "click and collect" and delivery services to continue to operate because showrooms remain closed to the public as part of measures to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.
In England, showrooms are due to reopen from April 12, alongside other nonessential retail outlets.
"Click and collect provided a lifeline for the sector – made possible by manufacturers and their networks successfully investing in digital channels," the association said. "Click and collect does not, however, offer the consumer the same experience and excitement as a showroom environment," it added.
For the sector to return to its pre-pandemic levels, around 8,300 new cars will need to be registered every single trading day for the rest of the year, the SMMT said. By comparison, the industry has averaged around 7,400 a day during the past decade and current levels are closer to 5,600 a day.
