Car production up 2%, SMMT figures show
Car manufacturing in the UK rose by almost 2% in June, pushing the figure for the first half of the year to 663,000 – a 4% improvement according to Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) data
Commercial vehicle production, however, fell 2.2% in June and, at 61,500 vehicles, is just short of 5% down over the first 6 months of the year, SMMT figures revealed.
Paul Everitt (pictured), chief executive of the SMMT said the figures showed "a welcome return to growth, with strong demand from key export markets".
He added: "Sustained investment in R&D, skills and new products by the UK automotive industry is helping to rebalance the economy, but there remain significant challenges. The economic recovery is still fragile, so government and industry must focus their energies on encouraging growth and maintaining UK competitiveness."
