UK car manufacturing fell sharply in November, plunging nearly a third compared to the same month last year and reaching its lowest November output since 1980.
According to new figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), just 64,216 cars rolled off production lines—27,711 fewer than in November 2023—marking the ninth consecutive monthly decline.
Of those produced, fewer than a third (19,165) were battery electric or hybrid vehicles, a segment that itself recorded a 45.5% year-on-year slump. The overall performance harks back to the era of industrial unrest and Ford dominance in the early 1980s, when Britain’s top sellers included the Escort Mk3, Sierra, and Cortina, and production last dipped this low for November.
These figures come at a time of significant upheaval in the UK automotive sector. Mike Hawes, chief executive of the SMMT, acknowledged the scale of change: “A decline was to be expected given the extensive transformations under way at many plants, but manufacturers are facing pressures both at home and abroad. Billions of pounds are being poured into new technologies, models, and production tooling, but the challenges are formidable.”
The data also underscore uneven demand. Output for the domestic market more than halved last month, while export-oriented production shrank by 21.3%. The year-to-date total now sits at about 734,500 cars, a reduction of 108,790 compared to the same point in 2023 and only about half of 2019 volumes.
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