More than 1.5 million cars were built in the UK in 2013, with the industry on course to reach levels of around 2 million units by 2017.
The figures, released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that UK car manufacturing rose by 3.1 per cent in 2013, with 1,509,762 cars rolling off the production lines, compared to 1,464,906 in 2012. This is the highest volume recorded since 2007, before the financial crisis.
The SMMT predicts that if car production continues to increase, Britain could become Europe's third largest car manufacturer, behind Germany and Spain.
Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said: "2013 demonstrated the value of the UK’s diverse car manufacturing industry, as surging home demand and robust exports outside Europe saw output grow 3.1% to over 1.5 million units.
"UK automotive investment announcements exceeded £2.5 billion in 2013, reinforcing industry analysts’ suggestions that the UK could break all-time car output records within the next four years."
Around 1.2 million of the cars built in Britain last year were produced for export, with just over 300,000 destined for UK buyers. And although overall export volumes fell slightly, the struggling European market's appetite for British manufacturing is still increasing.
Business secretary Vince Cable said: "Our success lies in the appetite from countries around the world for British cars. Around 80 per cent of the 1.5 million cars we produced last year were exported -- a testament to the diverse, high quality of British manufacturing."
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