Just under 10,000 fewer new cars were registered in 2002 compared with a the previous year in a fall of 6.5 per cent.
According to a Central Statistics Office (CSO) report, 150,485 new private cars were registered last year. This is almost one-third lower than the 225,269 new cars registered in 2000 at the height of the economic boom.
The report notes there were 13,352 second-hand cars licenced in 2002, compared with 15,237 in 2001, a decrease of 12.4 per cent.
The total number of all vehicles licensed last year was 220,847, compared 236,859 in 2001, a decrease of 6.8 per cent.
According to the CSO, Ford sold the highest number of new cars licenced in the State (17,146), followed by Toyota (16,55), Volkswagen (15,803), Nissan (13,745), and Opel (11,971).
Licencing of new tractors rose by 7 per cent to 2,878 compared with 2001.
