UK's May sales hit 8-year high

The European market remains a weak spot for the automobile industry, but that didn't stop Great Britain from posting its best May sales figures in nearly a decade.

The UK has been a rare bright spot for the European auto market as of late, with Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders announcing this week that the country's strong sales continued during the month of May.

According to SMMT, 180,111 vehicles were sold in the UK in May, up from 162,888 deliveries during the same month a year prior. Moreover, last month was the strongest May on record since 2005.

"The performance of new car registrations in May marks a significant milestone for UK automotive," Mike Baunton, the industry trade body's interim chief executive, told Reuters.

Ford nabbed the top two spots of the UK's sales charts last month with the Fiesta subcompact and Focus compact. General Motors' Corsa small car was third on the list, followed by the Volkswagen Golf.