The market of new cars in Bulgaria has registered a modest but nonetheless tangible year-on-year growth in the first quarter of 2011.

A total of 4 638 new cars were sold in Bulgaria in January-March 2011 vs. 3 956 sales in the same period of 2010, a growth of 17%, according to data of the Association of Car Importers.

In March, a total of 1 816 new cars were sold, compared to 1 358 in February and 1 464 in January.

Bulgaria's all time record first quarter in terms of new car sales was in 2008 when a total of 15 224 new cars were sold in the country, just months before the economy got into a depression and the market collapsed.

The total number of vehicles, including cars, trucks, buses, and motorcycles, sold in the first quarter of the year is 4 888 vs. 4 116 in 2010 Q1.

The most popular brand in the first quarter of 2011 in Bulgaria was Volkswagen with 567 new car sales, followed by Toyota with 427 sold vehicles. Ford is third with 414 sales, Peugeot comes in fourth with 369 sales, followed by Dacia with 357 and Skoda with 302.

Mercedes is the leader in the sales of new buses and trucks – a total of 45 in the first quarter. Peugeot has the lead in the sales of new motorcycles – 42, or 67% of all motorcycles sold in Bulgaria in this period.