New car orders could be postponed by customers wanting the latest number plate

Next month’s car sales forecast is proving difficult to predict, as many consumers could postpone car purchases to ensure it has the latest number plate.

March and September are bumper months for car sales, because the next iteration of number plate is introduced. Next month will be the turn of the ‘22’ plate.

However, new research from automotive media company Autovia suggests sales could be unpredictable, as many buyers would consider postponing a purchase if it didn’t arrive in time for the latest plate.

Forty-five per cent of readers of Auto Express and Carbuyer said they would consider postponing their new car order to make sure it could have the newest number plate.

Steve Fowler, editor-in-chief at Autovia, said: “March 2022 looks like being a very difficult month to predict, even in a fast-recovering market, due to many people remaining strongly attached to the thrill of the very latest plate.

“In principle it seems that a very significant minority are prepared to defer their purchases if the car cannot be registered exactly when they want.”

The car industry has been facing huge delays in delivering orders to customers who have faced huge wait times. Issues related to staffing during the pandemic have been compounded by a shortage of semiconductor computer chips, which are essential in modern car building.

As such, many car buyers hoping to get their new car at the start of March with a new plate could face delays. On top of the research above, Autovia says an online social media poll found a small majority said they would postpone their purchase if put in this situation.

Fowler added: “The emotional appeal of being among the first to have the newest plate remains strong for around one in five car buyers and many more cite the potentially higher future trade-in value they expect from owning the most recent plate.

“It remains to be seen whether a significant number of private buyers have held back orders for March but our research suggests that new plate attachment adds to the factors making it a difficult month to predict.”