The European car market dipped during November after many automakers had hoped they had turned the corner.

Sales in France dropped, but figures in Italy and Spain remained stable, without showing much sign of growth.

The news will come as a blow to the European automotive industry, which had hoped that the recent drop in oil prices would result in more consumers entering into the car market.

In October, both France and Spain registered impressive increases in sales, suggesting that the market was beginning to wake from its long slumber. But that prediction appears to have been premature, as the market again began to slow in November.

Despite this, with the increasing pressure from governments for manufacturers to reduce their emissions, Johnson Matthey's Platinum 2006 Interim Review, expects that the demand for platinum group metals for catalysts will continue to rise during 2007.

Ÿ Adfero Ltd