BRITAIN was one of the worst three performers in Europe for residual values in the past year, a new survey has shown. The EurotaxGlass's European Used Car Residual Price Index, published by eurocarprice.com, has revealed that used car values in the UK fell by 6.5% in the past year, beaten only by Portugal, with 7% and Belgium, with a 7.2% fall.

Some countries throughout Europe actually saw an increase in their values, with Austria seeing used car prices go up 1.6% and the Netherlands seeing prices rise 1.9%. Paul Jarvis, managing director of Glass's Information Services, said: 'The changes in the UK are linked to many factors such as availability, customer demand and the time of the year.'

The survey also showed that across Europe, the largest residual value falls hit the Fiat Punto, down 9.2% and the Renault Megane, down 7.8%. Only the Volkswagen Golf, up 0.9% and the Fiat Brava, up 4.8%, rose in average value.