UK car output down 3% in 2017 to 1.67m units
THE NUMBER OF British-built cars fell by 3% last year. The drop was attributed to poor domestic demand caused by declining consumer confidence and confusion over the future of diesel cars.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said 1,671,166 cars were built in the UK last year, down from 1,722,698 in 2016. It is the first decline in eight years but remains the second-biggest year for production since the turn of the century.
Jaguar Land Rover remains the biggest manufacturer of British-built cars for the third consecutive year, despite being down 2.3% year on year. It made 532,107 vehicles last year.
Nissan took second spot, despite output falling 2.4% to 495,206 vehicles. Mini was third, followed by Toyota, Honda and Vauxhall.
The top 10 cars sold worldwide and built in the UK were (in descending order): Nissan Qashqai, Mini hatchback, Honda Civic, Toyota Auris, Vauxhall Astra, Nissan Juke, Range Rover Sport, Jaguar F-pace, Range Rover Evoque and Land Rover Discovery Sport.