"In the period from January to September 2020, 127,168 new vehicles were put into circulation, which represented a year-on-year decrease of 38.4%," ACAP said in a statement, noting that it was only in August that the car market in Portugal saw the second highest percentage drop in the European Union.

According to the same document, the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) predicted a drop in the European market of between 20% and 25%, "so that the drop in the Portuguese automobile market continues to be much higher than the European average.

In September, 16,404 cars were registered, 9% less than in the same month of 2019.

By category, in the first nine months of the year, light passenger vehicle registrations totalled 105,660 units, a fall of 39.3% compared with the same period last year, while in September alone 13,186 units were registered, down 9.4%.

From January to September, the light goods market registered 18,627 units, a drop of 33.8% compared to the same period of the previous year, while in September it fell by 7.2% to 2,516 units.

As regards heavy goods vehicles, passenger vehicles and goods vehicles, a total of 2,881 units were registered up to September, a year-on-year loss of 34.1% and a fall of 8.6% to 702 vehicles in September.