Car production fell to lowest level since the Second World War

CAR production fell to its lowest level since the Second World War in April amid plant closures because of the coronavirus crisis, new figures reveal.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said production was down by 99.7% compared with April last year, with just 197 models leaving factory gates in the month. Instead of making cars for the UK and global export markets, many manufacturers produced personal protective equipment in April, including face shields, visors and medical gowns.

Output for both the domestic and overseas markets was “severely curtailed” in the month, with 152 cars built for export and 45 for customers in the UK, said the SMMT.

The “exceptional” figures follows a weak April 2019, when volumes fell due to temporary shutdowns as manufacturers sought to mitigate the impact of an expected end-march Brexit.

Latest independent analysis suggests annual UK car production could fall below one million this year, which would be lower than in 2009. The UK’S 168,000 automotive manufacturing employees are now starting to return to work, with around half of the country’s car and engine plants set to be operating by the start of June, said the SMMT.

Factories are scaling up production along different timescales and, with strict social distancing measures in place, output initially will be restricted with a predicted loss of up to 400,000 units by the end of the year compared with the January outlook, and a cost to the industry of up to £12.5 billion.