Consumers are driving away in newly purchased private cars at an unprecedented rate. A recent study from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) shows an increase of 51.1 per cent in vehicles licensed for the first time.

There were 29,419 new private cars licensed in February 2000 compared with 19,471 in February 1999.

In the first two months of this year, there were 49,521 licences issued for new cars - an increase of 49.8 per cent on the previous year.

The highest number of new private cars licensed in February by make: were Toyota (3,511); Nissan (3,409); Ford (3,131); Opel (2,611); Volkswagen (2,370); and Fiat (2,096).

According to the CSO, first licensing of second-hand private cars decreased by 774 (24.4 per cent) on the same month last year and decreased by 1,441 (24.6 per cent) in the year to date.