USED car sales in the first quarter (Q1) of 2024 were the highest for the start of a year since 2019.

A total of 1,967,923 cars were sold, including 162,626 in Scotland.

Conventional petrol cars accounted for the bulk of transactions, with 1,130,396 changing hands.

Diesel cars were the second most popular used buy. The fuel’s market share was 1.3 per cent down but diesel still accounted for 697,718 transactions.

Sales of second hand fully-electric cars (EVs) totalled 41,505 units – a 71.0 per cent rise over the same period last year.

The Ford Fiesta remained the favourite used car. It outsold its closest rival, the Vauxhall Corsa, by nearly 14,000 units.

Unchanged from Q1 in 2023, the top three colours of second hand cars were black, grey and blue.

Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), said: “A reinvigorated new car market is delivering more choice and affordability for used car buyers and, increasingly, they are choosing to go electric.”

Top 10 used cars in Q1: 1, Ford Fiesta, 80,814; 2, Vauxhall Corsa, 66,821; 3, Ford Focus, 60,058; 4, Volkswagen Golf, 59,810; 5, Mini, 42,102; 6, Vauxhall Astra, 41,521; 7, BMW 3 Series, 40,063; 8, Volkswagen Polo, 39,193; 9, Nissan Qashqai, 37,041; 10, Audi A3, 31,434.

Figures from SMMT.