Fewer used cars will be available

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The recent downturn in new car sales will see fewer used vehicles coming on to the future market, an industry expert has warned.

Glass's Guide said the consequences of the recession and a fall in registrations for 2009 and 2008 would see a reduction in the number of one and two-year-old used cars available to buy.

Figures showed that dealers currently account for up to 87% of sales of one to two-year-old cars. Three to five-year-old cars make up 77%.

Adrian Rushmore, managing editor of the guide, said that the fall in availability also occurred after the recession in early the 1990s and was likely to happen again.

He said: "When new car sales remain depressed for a succession of years the issue becomes more acute, because future used car supply reduces still further.

"The saving grace for dealers is that the supply of three to five-year-old cars will be fairly constant this year, thanks to new sales of 2.4 million in 2007, 2.3 million in 2006, and 2.4 million in 2005."

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