British car manufacturing rose by 9.3 per cent last month – SMMT
Britain’s car manufacturing industry delivered a strong performance in November as output rose.
Manufacturing rose 9.3 per cent in November, industry body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) reports today, revealing that 150,084 vehicles were built during the month, up from 137,347 this time last year.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: “November’s manufacturing gains are encouraging, and put the car industry in a strong position with one month left in the year. Particularly pleasing is the recent pick-up in export production, which is proof that despite challenges in some global markets, the UK continues to build cars that appeal to consumers around the world.”
The SMMT attributed the growth to a strong demand overseas while production for export was up 10.8 per cent for November as well. Year-to-date output also rose 3.8 per cent with about 1.5m cars built.
The UK is home to bus and coach manufacturers, mainstream and sports car makers and more. There are more than 2,000 auto suppliers in the UK while nearly 800,000 people were employed within the industry in 2014, according to SMMT.
In 2014, the car manufacturing industry also exported £34.6bn in products, adding up to almost 12 per cent of Britain’s total export goods, while the EU accounted for more than half of UK-built exports.