Don't buy a new car in September

A leading industry insider has warned that car companies may force the UK car market higher by pre-registering thousands of new cars to themselves, reducing the resale value of cars bought by legitimate customers.

Pre-registrations, theoretically outlawed by the government 10 years ago by a law with more holes than a sieve, are when car companies want to show they are selling lots of cars. They register the cars to themselves, their dealers or big fleet customers, only for the unwanted cars to re-appear on the market a few months later, with hugely discounted prices.