German car sales hit record high

Germans bought more cars in the first half of 2009 than ever before. Nearly 2.06 million new vehicles were sold, a jump of 26 percent on the same period last year. Motorists were seduced by the German government’s ‘bangers for cash’ scheme which gives buyers of new vehicles 2,500 euros in exchange for their previous car if it is older than nine years. Figures for the month of June were up 40 percent year-on-year.