The ACAP statement added that the first nine months of this year had seen vehicle sales in Portugal amount to 162,465 vehicles, hence up 27.9% on the same period of 2014.


ACAP also mentioned that despite the rise in sales, the September car figures remained 5.2% below the 15 year monthly sales average.


The light vehicles sector, passenger cars and small vans and minibuses, turned in monthly growth of 30% in September with total sales of 15,138 and accumulating 27.7% year-on-year growth in the first nine months with 159,551 units shifted.


Passenger vehicles in their own right accounted for 12,624 of the monthly sales in a 30.1% year-on-year rise.


Despite the issues prevailing, Volkswagen sales ranked the company third overall with its sale of 1,159 units representing a 23.4% increase on the same month in 2014.


The heavy goods vehicles sector also turned in comfortable growth rates with 396 trucks and similar sold in September up 13.8% on 2014 whilst the 2,914 units sold through the first nine months of this year reflecting a 37.3% surge on 2014.