The UK is on course to overtake France to become the third largest car manufacturer in Europe after Germany and Spain, according to figured released today by The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
British car production increased by 3.1 per cent in 2013, the industry body said, with analysts predicting that output would reach record levels of around two million by 2017.
The UK is also now Europe’s second-biggest car market behind Germany at 2.95million sales (down 4.2 per cent) and ahead of France (down 5.7 per cent).
The SMMT said four out of five cars built in the UK last year were exported, with strong demand reported in China, the United States and Russia.
Business Secretary Vince Cable said the figures were another sign that the British car industry was going from ‘strength to strength’.
‘Our success lies in the appetite from countries around the world for British cars,’ he said.
Resurgent British car industry now third largest in Europe as 1.5million motors roll out of factory gates in 2013 - with Nissan and Land Rover leading the charge
British car manufacturing at six-year high
Vehicle leaves production line every 20 seconds
Surging demand at home and abroad for British-made cars
By Matt West
23 January 2014
Daily Mail
British car manufacturing reached a six year high in 2013 with 1.5million motors rolling off production lines around the country.
In figures released today, The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said ‘surging’ demand at home and abroad saw a vehicle leave a production line every 20 seconds.
Production increased by 3.1 per cent in 2013, the industry body said, with analysts predicting that output would reach record levels of around two million by 2017.
Big hit: WhatCar? crowned small SUV the Nissan Qashqai its overall winner of car of the year. The first cars rolled of the production line in Sunderland this week
The UK is on course to become the third largest car manufacturer in Europe after Germany and Spain, it added. The figures come just days after manufacturers gave a bullish assessment of the state of the motoring industry in Britain predicting car production in the UK could return to levels not seen since the 1970s.
The UK is now Europe’s second-biggest car market behind Germany at 2.95million sales (down 4.2 per cent) and ahead of France (down 5.7 per cent).
The sales boom has been fuelled by rising confidence, cheap and flexible car finance deals, and windfall payouts by the banks to customers from the ‘personal protection insurance’ or ‘PPI’ mis-selling scandal, it said. Payouts of around £3,000 per customer equate roughly to the deposit on a car finance plan.
It is a far cry from the crisis in the industry five years ago which saw the Government step in with its car scrappage scheme designed to bolster domestic sales.
The SMMT said four out of five cars built in the UK last year were exported, with strong demand reported in China, the United States and Russia.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: ‘2013 demonstrated the value of the UK's diverse car manufacturing industry, as surging home demand and robust exports outside Europe saw output grow 3.1 per cent to over 1.5 million units.
‘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.’
Business Secretary Vince Cable said the figures were another sign that the British car industry was going from ‘strength to strength’.
Increased production: Nissan is the largest car manufacturer in the UK employing 7,000 people
Nissan's Sunderland plant is the most efficient in Europe
‘Our success lies in the appetite from countries around the world for British cars,’ he said.
‘Around 80 per cent of the 1.5 million cars we produced last year were exported - a testament to the diverse, high quality of British manufacturing.
‘It also highlights the benefits of industry and government working together and we want to continue this partnership through a long-term strategy.
‘This will give businesses the confidence to invest, speed up development on vehicles of the future and keep the UK as a world leader in cars.
‘Our investment of £1billion jointly with industry will help do this, while also delivering jobs and driving growth.’
Nissan built the most cars - over half a million - at its plant in Sunderland last year, followed by Land Rover (340,000), Toyota (179,000), Mini (174,000), Honda (138,000), Jaguar (78,000) and Vauxhall (73,000).
The news comes a day after Nissan's new Qashqai model came off the production line, which has helped create 500 new jobs in Sunderland, where the workforce is set to increase to over 7,000 for the first time.
Read more: British car industry now third largest in Europe with 1.5m motors in 2013 | Mail Online
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British car production increased by 3.1 per cent in 2013, the industry body said, with analysts predicting that output would reach record levels of around two million by 2017.
The UK is also now Europe’s second-biggest car market behind Germany at 2.95million sales (down 4.2 per cent) and ahead of France (down 5.7 per cent).
The SMMT said four out of five cars built in the UK last year were exported, with strong demand reported in China, the United States and Russia.
Business Secretary Vince Cable said the figures were another sign that the British car industry was going from ‘strength to strength’.
‘Our success lies in the appetite from countries around the world for British cars,’ he said.
Resurgent British car industry now third largest in Europe as 1.5million motors roll out of factory gates in 2013 - with Nissan and Land Rover leading the charge
British car manufacturing at six-year high
Vehicle leaves production line every 20 seconds
Surging demand at home and abroad for British-made cars
By Matt West
23 January 2014
Daily Mail
British car manufacturing reached a six year high in 2013 with 1.5million motors rolling off production lines around the country.
In figures released today, The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said ‘surging’ demand at home and abroad saw a vehicle leave a production line every 20 seconds.
Production increased by 3.1 per cent in 2013, the industry body said, with analysts predicting that output would reach record levels of around two million by 2017.
Big hit: WhatCar? crowned small SUV the Nissan Qashqai its overall winner of car of the year. The first cars rolled of the production line in Sunderland this week
The UK is on course to become the third largest car manufacturer in Europe after Germany and Spain, it added. The figures come just days after manufacturers gave a bullish assessment of the state of the motoring industry in Britain predicting car production in the UK could return to levels not seen since the 1970s.
The UK is now Europe’s second-biggest car market behind Germany at 2.95million sales (down 4.2 per cent) and ahead of France (down 5.7 per cent).
The sales boom has been fuelled by rising confidence, cheap and flexible car finance deals, and windfall payouts by the banks to customers from the ‘personal protection insurance’ or ‘PPI’ mis-selling scandal, it said. Payouts of around £3,000 per customer equate roughly to the deposit on a car finance plan.
It is a far cry from the crisis in the industry five years ago which saw the Government step in with its car scrappage scheme designed to bolster domestic sales.
The SMMT said four out of five cars built in the UK last year were exported, with strong demand reported in China, the United States and Russia.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: ‘2013 demonstrated the value of the UK's diverse car manufacturing industry, as surging home demand and robust exports outside Europe saw output grow 3.1 per cent to over 1.5 million units.
‘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.’
Business Secretary Vince Cable said the figures were another sign that the British car industry was going from ‘strength to strength’.
Increased production: Nissan is the largest car manufacturer in the UK employing 7,000 people
Nissan's Sunderland plant is the most efficient in Europe
‘Our success lies in the appetite from countries around the world for British cars,’ he said.
‘Around 80 per cent of the 1.5 million cars we produced last year were exported - a testament to the diverse, high quality of British manufacturing.
‘It also highlights the benefits of industry and government working together and we want to continue this partnership through a long-term strategy.
‘This will give businesses the confidence to invest, speed up development on vehicles of the future and keep the UK as a world leader in cars.
‘Our investment of £1billion jointly with industry will help do this, while also delivering jobs and driving growth.’
Nissan built the most cars - over half a million - at its plant in Sunderland last year, followed by Land Rover (340,000), Toyota (179,000), Mini (174,000), Honda (138,000), Jaguar (78,000) and Vauxhall (73,000).
The news comes a day after Nissan's new Qashqai model came off the production line, which has helped create 500 new jobs in Sunderland, where the workforce is set to increase to over 7,000 for the first time.
Read more: British car industry now third largest in Europe with 1.5m motors in 2013 | Mail Online
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