In the first three months of 2007, Bulgarians imported more than 60,000 second-hand vehicles, some 70% more than the 35,000 imported during the corresponding period in 2006, reported Deutsche Presse-Agentur.

Such cars have become cheaper in Bulgaria following the country's January 1 EU accession owing to the scrapping of value-added tax (VAT) on transactions between physical entities.

Also strongly up in the period were the sales of new cars, growing by some 30%, Bulgarian car dealers announced. Currently five of every six Bulgarian car buyers opts for a used vehicle compared to just one for a new car. That ratio was 1:3.9 in 2006, the dealers said, warning that purchases of cheap, old vehicles were jeopardizing the environment and safety.