Car dealer group JCT600 says its September retail new car sales were 66% up year-on-year.

That was partly driven by new dealerships, however like-for-like sales were up 24%.

The Yorkshire-based car dealer sold 2,500 cars during the first month of the 63-plate registration. JCT600 added that it had also experienced a sustained increase in demand over recent months with sales steadily rising throughout the summer.

The positive figures come despite a delay in the integration of JCT600's acquisition of nine dealerships from Gilder Group. The OFT put the deal on hold due to competition concerns in June, but then approved the deal in September.

John Tordoff, JCT600 chief executive, said: "After a tough few years in the car industry, it's great to see the market improving in the UK although it remains weak across most of Europe .

"While our record month is partly due to the recent expansion of the group with the addition of some Gilder Group dealerships earlier in the year, it also results from a 24% rise in new car sales across our existing dealerships."

JCT600 is a family business which operates 47 dealerships throughout Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire and the North East.