Berlin  - European new commercial vehicle registrations plunged by a record 38.7 per cent in February, the European car industry association (ACEA) said Wednesday as the global recession hits the automotive industry.

Leading the fall was a dramatic slump in commercial vehicle sales in European nations such as Ireland, Spain and Britain that have borne the brunt of the eocnomic downturn.

Overall new commercial vehicle registrations in Europe dropped to 129,580 vehicles last month.

In Ireland, new commercial vehicle registrations plummeted by 83.3 per cent last month.

The European Union's new member states in Central Europe were recorded sharp declines in registrations.

February new commercial vehicle registrations were down more than 60 per cent in Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

For the first two months of the year, European new commercial vehicle registrations were down 37.4 per cent compared to the same period in 2008.