Vehicle sales drive economic recovery

A total of 1.27m cars were produced in the UK in 2010- a 27.1% increase on the 2009 figure. Excellent news from an industry hit very hard by the economic downturn globally, with 2009 UK production figures down 30% from the previous year and commercial vehicles dropping by a massive 55%.

Commercial chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) Paul Everitt said today:

'UK vehicle production is leading the manufacturing recovery.

'manufacturers exported more than a million vehicles last year, underlining the competitiveness and desirability of the current model line-up. 'We expect further growth across automotive manufacturing this year as industry continues to invest in new models and a variety of low-carbon technologies.

Commercial vehicle production also rose sharply, rising 35.7% last year to 123,019. Despite a slip last month, UK engine output for 2010 - at 2.39m units - was 16.2% up on 2009. Car production in December was 10.6% higher than in December 2009, while commercial vehicle production rose 19.4%.