New car registrations increased in Europe in August, ending a 13-month decline, according to the region's carmakers' association.
In the European Union, key markets like Italy, Spain, France and Germany contributed positively to the region's growth, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA).
New registrations were up by 9.9% in Italy, 9.1% in Spain, 3.8% in France and 3% in Germany in August, with 650,305 new vehicles registered in the EU during the month.
Nevertheless, the 4.4% jump in EU car registrations in August "remains significantly below that of pre-pandemic levels", ACEA said in a statement.
A few supply-chain constraints, such as the lack of semiconductors, are beginning to ease for the auto industry.
A 16% jump from a year ago put Mercedes-Benz AG among the best performers.
July saw new car sales in negative territory, as new car registrations in the European Union decreased by 10.4%.
Registrations in Germany were lower at 12.9% and Spain was down 12.5% in July, with both countries posting the greatest declines of all four major EU markets.
ACEA said eight months into 2022, overall volumes have contracted by 11.9% to reach nearly 6mln new passenger cars sold, and despite the recent improvement, earlier declines weigh negatively on the cumulative performance.