Imported vehicles are now estimated to account for over 70% of all new vehicle registrations.

The prices of both new and secondhand cars are falling quickly, are they going to drop still further?

How much more of a role will the Internet play in selling cars directly to the customer?

Over the past two decades car ownership has grown at a faster rate than either household or population growth. Despite the rising price of motoring - with UK consumers still paying the highest prices in Europe for new cars, costing the average household £26 a week - the number of car registrations has grown by nearly 19% over the past five years. With the strength of Sterling, imports are playing an increasing role in the new car market, but does the industry need to work harder to convince the UK customer to trust buying directly from the manufacturer or over the Internet?

There has been an industry-wide emphasis on the environmental impact of cars with design changes brought about by increasing tough legislation, however many manufacturers are seeking to find new ways of consolidating their positions and cutting both costs and dealing with environmental concerns. Despite the fact that both new and used cars were cheaper in July than they were 12 months ago there has been much industry activity ranging from pan-company purchasing deals to brand mergers - does the UK consumer feel that they are getting a fair deal? This Special Report provides an analysis of recent developments and future trends in the UK market for new and used cars. Although The UK Car Market primarily focuses on the retail sector, the company car market, which has a strong influence on the used car market, is also discussed.

Other Mintel reports of relevance include:

- Car Finance, Finance Intelligence, May 2000

- Car Retailing, Retail Intelligence, March 2000

- Car Aftermarket - Small Parts, Market Intelligence, June 1999

- Car Accessories, Market Intelligence, April 1999

- Car and Van Hire, Market Intelligence, December 1998.