Production figures released on Tuesday by the Office for National Statistics show that UK car production in February 2003 fell by 7.1% year on year while export production rose 3.9%. Year to date production was down 7.8% to 278,373 units while exports were up 5.1% to 175,217.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

SMMT chief executive Christopher Macgowan said: “From a strong base in 2002, production has dipped slightly but the outlook remains good. The production of cars built for export continues to grow and while production of cars built for the UK market has eased, the introduction of a number of new models is likely to see strong growth in key plants later this year.

“2003 will be a year of consolidation and modest growth with year-end totals expected to reach 1.68 million, up 3% on 2002.”

Just Auto Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Auto Technology Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Continental has secured the Window Displays Innovation Award in the 2025 Just Auto Excellence Awards for its Window Projection solution, transforming side windows into dynamic, data-rich canvases. Discover how this compact projection technology and intelligent software are reshaping in-car UX and opening fresh revenue streams for OEMs and mobility providers.

Discover the Impact