UK car production grew 8% year on year in January, with 137,552 vehicles assembled.
Export output rose 9.7% to 106,441 while 31,111 cars were built for the ‘home market’, a rise of 2.5%.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said this ws the best January performance for eight years.
“Increased foreign demand for British-built cars saw manufacturing for export grow for the sixth consecutive month with volumes up 9.7%. Meanwhile, production for UK customers grew 2.5% – an indication of the strong state of the domestic market,” the SMMT said in a statement.
Last year saw record exports from the UK with total car production reaching 1.6m – the highest in a decade.
SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said: “January’s figures mark an encouraging start to the year for the UK car industry, following an impressive 2015. We expect output to continue growing in the coming years as the industry benefits from continuing investment, but much will depend on global economic and political conditions and consumer confidence.”
