UK car production achieved a 17-year high in 2016, according to the latest figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). 1,727,471 vehicles rolled off production lines last year from some 15 manufacturers, an 8.8 per cent uplift on total production 2015 – and the highest output since 1999.

More cars are now being exported from Britain than ever before, the result of investment made over recent years in world-class production facilities, cutting-edge design and technology and one of Europe’s most highly skilled and productive workforces. Ten brand new car models began production in the UK last year, nine of them from premium brands which has helped make the UK the second biggest producer of premium cars in Europe, after Germany and the third biggest car producer. Production growth was predominantly driven by overseas demand, with global appetite for British-built cars rising by 10.3 per cent to an all-time high of 1,354,216 – a second consecutive annual record.