French car market seen slipping further in 2003

By Rebecca Harrison

PARIS, Dec 18 (Reuters) - French motorists bought fewer new cars this year as a weak world economy dented confidence, and demand is likely to remain subdued as fears of war in Iraq weigh, a French car market research group said on Wednesday.

The Observatoire de l'Automobile, owned by bank BNP Paribas, bet sales of new cars in France would fall 4.66 percent this year compared with 2001 -- at the lower end of its own forecasts but roughly in line with ...