Alfa Romeo and Skoda are celebrating record sales for the year in the UK.

At the beginning of December, with three sales weeks of the year left, Alfa registrations passed 16,400, exceeding the marque's previous best ever performance in the UK – 13,638 units in 1979.

Alfa Romeo's sales are up 84% year-on-year, while 156 saloon and Sportwagon sales are up 56% year-on-year.

Sales director Andy Rowe said: "This excellent achievement is the result of solid preparation by Alfa's national dealer network, and of increasing demand from discerning business purchasers who appreciate the all-round attraction of the Alfa Romeo package."

Skoda sales to the end of November reached 34,184 units - 28.5% increase year-on-year. In 2000 sales totalled 26,574 for the same period.