Almost 1 million cars made in UK this year

CAR MANUFACTURING accelerated ahead last month, according to official figures.

A total of 132,570 cars were made in the UK in July 2014 - a 2.8% rise on the figure for July 2013, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said.

Last month's total took the year-to-date figure to 923,884 - a 3.4% increase on the total for the first seven months of last year.

Cars made for export rose 2.9% last month which took the export market for the period since 2010 to the five million mark.

SMMT chief executive, Mike Hawes, said this was "a major milestone" adding that the automotive industry had "continued its renaissance" in July 2014.

He went on: "This is testament to the burgeoning reputation of UK automotive excellence and demand for British-made cars.

"Significantly, UK car export values have doubled over the past decade - reflecting the diversity of the products we make and proving the sector's worth as a global investment opportunity."

By Peter Woodman, Press Association