French car sales set for record sales

French car sales are expected to hit 2.27 million in 2009, the largest jump in sales in nearly two decades, due to the government's cash-for-clunkers programme, a minister said Monday.

Industry Minister Christian Estrosi said the figure represented a 10-percent jump from last year and is the biggest since 1990 when 2.3 million cars were sold.

The French government last year launched a subsidy scheme to encourage people to trade in an old car for a new more environmentally-friendly model.

Several governments have used such a measure to support their auto industries during the global downturn.

lo/cml/dt