By the end of June, almost 80,000 fewer vehicles had been sold – a total of 8,355,705. June alone saw a drop of 1.3% to 1,497,701, according to automotive data firm JATO Dynamics.

Although the Peugeot 207 remains Europe’s top seller, Volkswagen tops the bestselling brand chart ahead of Opel/Vauxhall, Renault, Ford and Peugeot. Improving brands outside of the top five include Dacia, Daihatsu, Honda and MINI.

“While the total figures for 2007 reveal a challenging picture for manufacturers in the Europe markets, it’s clear to see from the performances of individual brands that there are still opportunities for growth,” said Nasir Shah, JATO’s international sales and marketing director.

The Peugeot 207 sold 237,722 units in the year to June. Close behind was the Ford Focus (229,249) followed by the Fiat Punto (222,432), Opel/Vauxhall Corsa (219,311) and Opel/Vauxhall Astra (215,867).