Car registrations in West Europe are on the increase, according to the latest figures released by the Association of European Car Manufacturers.

The ACEA reported that car registrations currently stand at 1,271,876 and are rising at a rate of 4.1 per cent year-on-year.

The figure represents an aggregate of national figures submitted by each of the original 15 EU member states, plus those in the European Free Trade Area.

The new accession states also reported "significant increases", though the Czech Republic experienced a decline.

Brands experiencing the highest increase in registration are Fiat and BMW, posting 11.4 and 7.7 per cent rises respectively. Ford saw an increase of 6.4 per cent, while Volkswagen reported a 4.1 per cent boost.

The figures represent some encouraging news for automotive manufacturers after a period of difficulty following a downturn in the global economy and a lack of consumer confidence.