European automobile sales fell by 55 per cent last month due to the coronavirus outbreak as lockdown measures went into effect in most nations, the industry's trade association said, according to AFP.

New car registrations — a proxy for sales — slumped to 567,308 vehicles last month, compared to over 1.2 million during the same month last year, the European Automobile Manufacturers Association said.

“All 27 EU markets contracted in March, but Italy took the biggest hit, with registrations falling by 85.4pc to 28,326 new cars,” the association said.