SMMT figures show car manufacturing boom

Car output rose for the 13th consecutive month and 15.1% for the year-to-date. Commercial vehicle output stabilised, down 1.3% in the month with a 7.7% fall for the first seven months, while UK engine production was up 0.3% over the year, with a narrow 1.9% downturn in the month. Paul Everitt, chief executive at the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said that while uncertainty in Europe remained a challenge, the £6 billion investment committed to the UK in the last two years delivered long-term growth opportunities and the latest figures showed that UK products hadenormous global appeal. However, Philippa Oldham, head of manufacturing at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers said that while the rise in UK car manufacturing figures was very welcome and showed that the UK could still be a manufacturing powerhouse, UK manufacturing as a whole was still shrinking. "The success of UK car manufacturing should motivate Government to take urgent action to support manufacturing so that we can see other industries become UK success stories," she continued. "Government needs to work with industry and other political parties to develop a detailed manufacturing and industrial strategy with cross-party support. Industry needs this certainty and also needs greater access to capital investment in order to invest in new production plants, machinery and training."