Australian Automobile Dealers Association, Victoria (AADA-Vic) and VACC are encouraged by today’s release of the 2008 new vehicle sales figures.

For the second year running, and only the second time ever, Australians bought more than one million new vehicles during a calendar year.

Official VFACTS figures released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) show that 1,012,164 passenger cars, SUVs and commercial vehicles were sold in 2008.

"This is positive news for the Australian automotive industry," said VACC spokesperson Murray Collins.

"There is little doubt that 2008 was a challenging year, so to achieve one million new vehicle sales is a very good effort.

"The next 12 months are expected to be tough for all concerned in the automotive sector. However, auto-industry people are very resilient and we are optimistic that it will be a successful year.

"The industry is looking ahead with confidence and planning for the future after receiving significant support towards the end of 2008."