PRAGUE, Nov 14 (Reuters) - Skoda Auto, the Czech unit of Volkswagen, set a record for sales for the month of October, shrinking the decline it has seen since the start of the year thanks to the launch of new models.
The carmaker sold 83,800 vehicles in October, a 7.5 percent year-on-year rise. In the January to October period it sold 768,700 units, down 3.3 percent after a drop of 4.5 percent during the first nine months of the year.
Skoda said it saw double-digit growth in European sales in October, including a 23.5 percent rise in Germany.
"Despite some difficult market conditions, new orders continue to develop positively," Skoda said in a release.
Skoda is the top Czech exporter. The Czech economy is just getting out of a record recession but data on Thursday showed the economy fell 0.5 percent quarter-on-quarter, defying expectations for a second straight quarter of growth. (Reporting by Jason Hovet)