VAUXHALL'S Ellesmere Port plant was celebrating last night after the Cheshire-built Astra was hailed as the UK's second best-selling car in 2001.

Official figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders ( SMMT) revealed that car sales accelerated to a new record last year, with 2,458,769 vehicles being bought.

The Ford Focus was in top spot, with the Astra taking second place, three places ahead of the Vauxhall Corsa.

The 2001 total was 10.7pc up on the 2000 figure and comfortably surpassed the previous record of

2.3m set in 1989, said the SMMT.

There were 126,471 new cars sold in December 2001 - 17.3pc up on the December 2000 total. Seven of the months of 2001 produced record sales, including each of the last four months of the year.

SMMT chief executive Christopher Macgowan said: "We have had a more competitive market than ever before and a raft of enticing new models to tempt the buying public.

"December's figures are really the icing on the cake. Many commentators have waited for By Larry Neild

Deputy Business Editor

the market to cool, but I'm delighted that this hasn't happened."

Private registrations, buoyed by the big fall in new car prices, soared 22pc last year and accounted for 49.3pc of total sales - the highest market share since 1993.

Imported cars accounted for a record 75.8pc of all registrations last year - up from 71.7pc in 2000. UK-built registrations rose 7.8pc in December 2001 but were down

5.6pc to 24.2pc for the year.

The number of new diesel cars sold rose 39.4pc last year to a record 436,591.

As well as September to December, the record months of 2001 were March, June and July.

Roger Higman, transport campaigner for Friends of the Earth, said: "People are voting with their pockets.

"If the Government doesn't give them decent public transport-it's not surprising they buy cars. But, that will only make congestion and conditions worse. Tony Blair has got to start putting more money into our rail and bus systems."