Mazda has achieved its highest monthly market share ever in the UK at almost 2%.

Mazda sold 3,859 passenger cars in May beating off rivals such as Volvo, Skoda and Seat.

Car sales were up 28% on May last year in a month when the car market overall was down 2%. So far in 2004 Mazda has sold 21,680 vehicles, 35% up on January to May last year.

Over 1,100 RX-8s have been sold in May alone, just under 5,000 so far this year and 6,593 since its launch in October 2003.

The 6 has sold 1,037 units and the 3 with 500 sales in its fifth month since launch.

Sales director Rob Lindley says: “We are well on track to achieve 48,000 sales this year as one of the fastest growing car brands in the UK market.

“We will have 161 Mazda dealers operational by the end of 2004, reaching new market areas throughout the country.”