French auto sales fall 4.4%

French auto sales slid by 4.4 percent in November in unadjusted terms, with 11-month sales down by 7.1 percent, according to industry association data released on Monday. However both domestic carmakers registered rising sales in November, according to the data of the French Automakers Committee (CCFA). PSA Peugeot Citroen, which announced a change in leadership last week as it is reportedly in the midst of seeking a new investor, saw its sales increase by 2.4 percent in November despite there being fewer working days compared to the same month last year. Renault, which has weathered the slump in European car sales better thanks to a greater international presence, registered a 3.1 percent increase in sales. The CCFA, which reports new car registrations as a proxy for sales, said the sales of foreign cars slumped by 12.4 percent in November. The association expects 2013 car sales to be down by 6 percent in adjusted terms from 2012. Last year new car registrations were down by 17.5 percent from the previous peak in sales in 2009.