New car registrations in Scotland in August 2004 totalled 6,118 units - a fall of 12.16% on the same month last year (6,965 units).

Douglas Robertson, chief executive of the Scottish Motor Trade Association, said, “Following July’s decrease in new car registrations, the further decrease in August in Scotland is, of course, disappointing though not entirely unexpected.

"Nevertheless, despite these decreases, which we feel are the result of increasing pressure on the amount of credit being used by consumers, we are confident that 2004 will see yet another year with new car registrations totalling in excess of 200,000.

He added that SMTA dealers have reported that they expect September sales figures to be within a few percent of last year's (39,982).