The United Kingdom produced roughly 905,100 passenger cars in 2023. This marked the first year when figures increased since they started declining in 2016. Compared to 2022, production increased by approximately 16.8 percent in 2023.
Challenges on the domestic front
The United Kingdom’s automotive industry has been struggling following the Brexit referendum and was hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, supply chain shortages, and raw material price increases. The United Kingdom was once the largest exporter of cars, and its long-standing brands still enjoy success worldwide. The UK domestic market, however, has been faring slightly worse than production for overseas.
UK auto industry loses ground
In 2023, the United Kingdom did not make it into the top 10 in a list of leading car producers worldwide. That same year, China was the world’s leading manufacturer of such motor vehicles. The country produced a staggering 26.1 million units.
Yearly number of passenger cars produced in the United Kingdom (UK) between 2003 and 2023
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SMMT. (January 25, 2024). Yearly number of passenger cars produced in the United Kingdom (UK) between 2003 and 2023 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved January 05, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/298923/total-number-of-cars-produced-in-the-united-kingdom/
SMMT. "Yearly number of passenger cars produced in the United Kingdom (UK) between 2003 and 2023." Chart. January 25, 2024. Statista. Accessed January 05, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/298923/total-number-of-cars-produced-in-the-united-kingdom/
SMMT. (2024). Yearly number of passenger cars produced in the United Kingdom (UK) between 2003 and 2023. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: January 05, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/298923/total-number-of-cars-produced-in-the-united-kingdom/
SMMT. "Yearly Number of Passenger Cars Produced in The United Kingdom (Uk) between 2003 and 2023." Statista, Statista Inc., 25 Jan 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/298923/total-number-of-cars-produced-in-the-united-kingdom/
SMMT, Yearly number of passenger cars produced in the United Kingdom (UK) between 2003 and 2023 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/298923/total-number-of-cars-produced-in-the-united-kingdom/ (last visited January 05, 2025)
Yearly number of passenger cars produced in the United Kingdom (UK) between 2003 and 2023 [Graph], SMMT, January 25, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/298923/total-number-of-cars-produced-in-the-united-kingdom/
