Car production up in January

Car production up in January

Using the recently released SMMT figures, we see that vehicle production was up yet again in January, despite the month being usually subdued for the automotive industry.

The rise, although at only a modest 1.2%, with 129,049 cars manufactured in the UK in January, was particularly paramount as it meant a year-on-year rise in automotive production in Britain of 15.6% - a huge figure that many though unobtainable. This increase too happened in the month where traditionally there are many festive breaks.

Unfortunately, the upward trend was not seen by the commercial vehicle production market, with production falling by 20.5% year-on-year. It is also thought that the production of commercial vehicles could see further falls this year, with auto-giants Ford curtailing their manufacturing during the year. The engine production industry also saw a fall of 5.1% in the month, with figures dropping to 219,575.

Although economies throughout the world are struggling, there is a growing demand for automotive products built in the UK, especially in emerging markets. Paired with new investments, the UK automotive production market is set to see a positive year. You can read the entire SMMT update here: http://www.smmt.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/January-2013-UK-automotive-manufacturing.docx

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