Car sales, which make up 82% of the overall auto market, rose 14.3% on the year in the first eight months, while sales of commercial vehicles grew 32%.
In August alone, car sales increased 24% compared with August 2014.
The top selling carmakers in Romania in the first eight months were local Dacia, with 21,777 units (35.4% of total car sales), followed by Volkswagen with 6,223 units (10.1%), Skoda with 5,502 units (8.9%), Ford with 3,890 units (6.3%), Dacia owner Renault with 3,707 units (6%) and Opel with 2,349 units (3.8%).
By types of fuel, diesel cars accounted for 54% of total sales, down from 67.4% at the beginning of the year. Hybrid and electric car sales reached 272 units (of which 19 fully electric) in January-August, from 138 units (of which just two electric cars) in the same period last year.
Car sales on the Romanian market are still fueled by purchases made by companies which covered 74% in January-August, down from 77% in the first half of the year, due to the clunkers program, which has boosted sales to individuals.
Second-hand car imports increased 12.7% in the first eight months, to around 157,000 units from 140,000 units in the same period last year.
Romania produced 256,571 vehicles in January-August, 1.8% more than in the same period last year. Of these, 223,337 were made by Dacia and 33,234 by Ford.
Romania’s vehicle exports rose 2.4% in January-August, to 237,773 units, accounting for around 93% of the country’s output.