Market stabilises in September. The European car market is gradually stabilising. According to the most recent figures provided by the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA), demand for new cars in Europe was up 5.4%, amounting to 1,159,066 units, from the record low volumes registered in September 2012. This was the biggest increase of the year and helps offset the decline of -3.9% over the whole year. The situation was still very bad at the end of the first quarter (-9.8%), then slightly improved (-6.6%) at the end of the second quarter and finally reached -3.9% at the end of the third quarter. This stabilisation, however, was achieved at an extremely low level. Over the first nine months of the year, there were around 2.6 million fewer vehicles on the European market than during the first nine months of 2007, before the crisis. Some countries like Italy and Spain have seen their deliveries decline by 50%. All European manufacturers, apart from the PSA Group (-2.9%) and FIAT Group (-3.4%) have begun to see sales of their vehicles increase. The Renault Group, for example, recorded growth of +22.2% in September. (IL/transl.fl)