New car registrations in Britain fell last month by around 5% in annual terms, preliminary data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) showed on Friday. August is usually one of the quietest months for new car sales and the drop follows an 11% jump in July – the first increase in 2020 – when car showrooms reopened following the coronavirus lockdown. The SMMT has previously said it could take until the end of September for a clear picture to emerge on trends in the car market as the economy recovers from the coronavirus lockdown.