UK car production hits six-year high

The British car industry continued to boom in 2013, with production topping the 1.5 million unit barrier thanks to a resurgent Toyota, Jaguar and Land Rover.

It means that last year, a car was built in the UK every 20 seconds!

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UK car sales reach six-year high

1,509,762 cars produced was a 3.1% rise on 2013 – and, in further good news for Britain, it was revealed that 79.6% of them, or 1,201,395 cars, were exported to overseas markets.

Key foreign markets for British-built cars include China, Russia and the United States.

Business Secretary Vince Cable paid tribute to UK car manufacturers and workers: “Today’s figures are another sign that the British car industry is going from strength to strength.”

Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said, “UK automotive investment announcements exceeded £2.5 billion in 2013, reinforcing industry analysts’ suggestions that the UK could break all-time car output records within the next four years.”

The best year for Briish car production was back in 1972, when 1.92 million cars were produced. It is expected this record will be broken in as little as four years’ time, with analysts predicting British-built cars will break the 2 million mark by 2017.

This would mean that TWICE as many cars were built in Britain than the low point in 2009 – evidence of the British car industry’s remarkable turnaround and recovery in less than a decade.

The 2013 growth in British car production was led by Toyota’s Burnaston plant in Derby. The number of cars there rocketed by over 63% thanks to demand for the new Auris and Avensis.

Jaguar production also rose by more than 40% at its Castle Bromwich plant, while the boom in Land Rover production continued with another 11.4% rise, taking the total past the 340,000 mark.

Nissan remained the largest car manufacturer in Britain, despite a small 1.7% decline in numbers: one in three cars made in Britain is a Sunderland-built Nissan.

By motoringresearch.com