Soaring fuel prices are sending despairing drivers on a frantic search to buy second hand diesels.
Used car database, Cardata.co.uk, has recorded a 28 per cent increase in the number of people considering a diesel car since the end of the summer.
The sudden jump comes off the back of increased speculation about rising fuel prices, especially since recent increases which saw the price of oil top $50 a barrel.
According to Cardata, diesel models currently account for 18 percent of all privately advertised vehicles on the market. SMMT figures show that new diesel sales have rocketed in the past five years from 13.8 percent in 1999 to a record high 37.2 per cent last month.
Says Cardata spokesman Andrew Sobell. "Motorists are considering the cost of running their cars more than ever before. Inherent to this is the belief that a diesel will be more economical than petrol to run.
"The sudden upward shift once again highlights how people see the cost of fuel immediately hitting their pocket, before considering other costs such as depreciation, insurance or servicing."
