Best January for new car sales for eight years
SMMT figures on new car registrations showed a positive start to the year as the numbers grew 6.7 per cent in January to 164,856 units – the strongest January since 2007.
SMMT figures on new car registrations showed a positive start to the year as the numbers grew 6.7 per cent in January to 164,856 units – the strongest January since 2007.
SMMT figures show that 1,528,148 cars weremanufactured in the UK in 2014 – a 1.2 per cent increase on the previous year and the best year since 2007. In addition, the strongest December in a decade saw 108,721 cars produced; up 27.1 per cent on December 2013. This growth came despite challenges in some export markets.
The SMMT says that UK engine manufacturing output returned to growth in December, rising 6.7 per cent. However, output fell 6.2 per cent over the year, following retooling at a number of facilities, although the outlook is bright, thanks to major investments into UK engine manufacturing.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) reports that new car registrations in the UK reached a 10-year high in 2014. During the 12-month period a total of 2,476,435 new cars were registered, the highest number since 2004 and the fourth highest figure ever – only 2002, 2003 and 2004 saw a greater number of cars registered. This 2014 result was 9.3 per cent above 2013 figures and, according to results for January to November 2014, 5.7 per cent ahead of the EU average.
SMMT figures show that commercial vehicle demand grew 27.0 per cent in October to 35,027 units, driving the market up 14.1 per cent to surpass 300,000 units. Truck registrations saw a sharp upturn of 65.7 per cent to 8,457 units, marking the first month of growth for the market in 2014. Year-to-date levels remain down […]
SMMT figures reveal that new car registrations jumped 14.2 per cent in October to 179,714 units, marking the 32nd consecutive month of growth. 2,137,910 cars have been registered in the year-to-date – the first time the market has passed two million in October since 2007. Rising demand for alternatively-fuelled vehicles continued, with the market up […]
Although slightly fewer cars were manufactured in the UK last month than in September 2013, production in the first nine months of 2014 was the highest in six years. Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, commented that “it is testament to the strength of the automotive industry that it continues to break records – yielding the best year-to-date performance for six years and comfortably surpassing one million units.” The reason for the “slight dip” in output in September was, he added, that some plants undertook retooling for new models; this investment, he added, will help increase future production volumes.
UK commercial vehicle production fell by 1,642 units in August as the 2014 calendar saw some plants take additional shutdown, compared to last year, for retooling according to SMMT figures.
Traditionally a fallow month ahead of the introduction of new plates, August has continued the trend of new car registration growth in the UK. Announcing the figures, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders revealed that 72,163 new cars were registered in August, a 9.4 per cent rise on August 2013 and the 30th consecutive month of growth. Anticipation is now growing for September, usually a far busier month on the back of the plate change.
Car production in the UK has been described as “robust” by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, who report that manufacturing volumes rose 3.5 per cent year-on-year between January and June 2014 to 791,314 units. Output in the month of June was 136,419 vehicles, 3.7 per cent higher than a year earlier and a result driven by a 16.5 per cent growth in production for the UK market.
During the first six months of 2014, a total of 1,287,265 new cars were registered in the UK. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders says this figure represents 10.6 per cent year-on-year growth and is the best half-year total since 2005. New car registrations rose 6.2 per cent year-on-year in June to 228,291 units. SMMT sees the market as being on track for 2.4 million new car registrations this year, more than six per cent above the 2013 figure.
The UK bus and coach market was slightly down in May after a strong April, reports the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. Chief executive Mike Hawes shares that “after a glut of new bus and coach registrations in April, the sector performed more modestly in May, down 3.3 per cent.” A total of 644 buses and coaches were registered in May 2014. So far a total of 3,356 buses and coaches have been registered in the UK during 2014, 4.1 per cent more than in the first five months of 2013.
The bus and coach market remains stable; down just 0.2 per cent in March to 1,032 units. The purpose-built sector dropped -28.7 per cent in the month and -23.5 per cent for the year-to-date, while the converted bus market continued to rise, up 22.3 per cent in March to 707 units.
Demand for the new 14 registration plate fuelled commercial vehicle growth in March. Total commercial vehicle registrations grew 11.4 per cent in March to 54,232 with the rolling year figure up 15.6 per cent to 335,840.
The combined March and September plate-changes typically account for around a third of the annual van market. The strong 14.6 per cent rise to 50,064 van registrations is in line with expectations
According to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, the manufacture of cars in the UK picked up pace in March due to improving domestic and export sales. UK car production rose 12 per cent during the month to 142,158 units, bringing 2014 to-date growth to 2.9 per cent. Production of cars intended for sale in the UK increased 18.2 per cent year-on-year to 33,221 units, although the year to date production count of 86,505 units is still 4.1 per cent down on last year. Production of cars for export markets rose 10.3 per cent year-on-year to 108,947 units, while year to date figures are 5.0 per cent higher than during the corresponding period of 2013, at 318,298 units.
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