British car manufacturing output vrooms to highest level since 1999

UK car manufacturing output in the year to November accelerated to its highest level since 1999 as global automotive demand continued to surge.

The British car manufacturing industry said 169,200 vehicles rolled off production lines last month, taking the total so far in 2016 to 1.6m, up 9.6% on the same period last year and a 17-year high.

November's car output was 12.8% on the same month last year, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) confirmed, with domestic output up 14% to almost 33,800 and vehicles for export up 12.5% to 135,500.

“Made in Britain is a badge coveted by car buyers worldwide, and these latest figures highlight not just that international appeal but the fact that the UK is a globally competitive place to make cars," said SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes.

"These latest results are the product of significant investments made over the past few years, but which will continue only if we can maintain the competitive trading conditions that have enabled the UK to become an automotive success story.”

The UK auto industry, which employs more than 169,000 people directly in manufacturing and 814,000 across the wider automotive industry, accounted for more than £71.6bn of revenue in 2015 and around 12% of total UK goods exports.