Berlin - European car sales fell 17.9 per cent in the first quarter of 2009, data released Thursday showed, as the crisis in the global auto industry deepened.

The Brussels-based European car makers' industry association (ACEA) said the slump during the first three months of the year came in the wake of a 9-per-cent fall in auto sales in March compared to the came month last year.

The fall came despite a hefty 39.9-per-cent surge in March car sales in Germany following the government's launch of car purchasing incentives in Europe's biggest auto market. (dpa)