Following the release of June’s registration figures, it has been revealed that 13.9 per cent of vehicles sold in Britain are now UK-manufactured.
These figures represent a five year high for UK-built vehicles and showcase the growing success of the UK manufacturing industry. Although there are several luxury carmakers that use the UK as their engineering headquarters – such as Jaguar Land Rover, Aston Martin and Bentley – it is more mainstream brands that are having the biggest effect.
The top ten best sellers for the month of June for example include the Nissan Qashqai and Vauxhall Astra, both of which are built in the UK, in Sunderland and Ellesmere Port respectively. Other popular sellers built on UK shores include the Nissan Juke, Range Rover Evoque and Vauxhall Vivaro.
Honda’s recent investment in UK manufacturing is a fine example of how automotive development in Britain is moving forward, as it has invested a massive £200 million in its Swindon plant as it introduces its new 2015 Civic, CR-V and Jazz models. As well as supplying to the UK, the Swindon plant will export around 50 per cent of its vehicles to countries outside Europe, such as Japan.
Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, commented on the boom in interest of British-built vehicles: "It is still a great time to buy a new car in the UK, and it is encouraging to see more consumers choosing British models. This is important for the wider economy with 799,000 people now employed across the UK automotive sector, including retail.”
Other notable statistics from June’s figures include a 13 cent growth in overall monthly registrations, as it tallied 257,817, up from 228,291 in June 2014. This also means that year-to-date figures have grown by seven per cent when compared to last year, standing at 1,376,889.
The ever-popular Ford Fiesta remained top dog in the sellers chart for June with 12,543 units, continuing its top seller trend. This was followed by the Vauxhall Corsa (9,561), Ford Focus (9,089) and the Volkswagen Golf (7,575).
