UK car production has risen for a second consecutive month, Kallanish learns from Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) data.
Car production in July stood at 69,127 units, up 5.6% on-year, while total vehicle output fell 10.8% in the month to 72,006 units.
This was due to a large fall in commercial vehicle output, which reflected restructuring and a bumper month last year.
Car production for domestic and export markets improved, SMMT notes, rising 13.6% and 3.7% respectively, with overseas markets taking the majority of output at 79.4%.
The EU remained the main destination with a 45.6% share, followed by the US at 18.1%, China at 7.7%, Turkey at 7.2% and Japan at 3.4%.
While shipments to the EU and China fell by 7.9% and 7.1% respectively, output for Turkey and Japan grew 35.4% and 14.9%.
SMMT notes the US remains the largest single national market for British-built cars, underscoring the importance of the UK-US trade deal. Exports to the US rose by 6.8% to almost 10,000 units, reversing three straight months of decline.
In the year to date, total vehicle output is down 11.7% with 489,238 units produced.
In a separate outlook, SMMT notes “a slightly brighter picture for UK vehicle manufacturing is expected in 2026 as some investments come to fruition with, hopefully, a return to annual growth as new products on factory lines help to ensure the automotive industry remains a cornerstone of Britain’s economy, trade, employment and, indeed, decarbonisation.”
Carrie Bone UK
