The automotive industry accounts for around 11% of all UK exports
The automotive industry accounts for around 11% of all UK exports and on average produces 1.5 million cars and commercial vehicles and more than 205 million engines every year*.
This is a global industry investing on a large scale in UK manufacturing. In 2011 global manufacturers announced investments in new models and expansion of existing facilities worth more than £4 billion.
The following companies build cars in Britain, but are not UK owned.
Mini – built in Cowley, Oxford, but owned by BMW in Germany.
Honda build the Civic, CRV and Jazz(from autumn 2009) in Swindon.
Toyota build the Auris and Avensis in Derbyshire.
Nissan build the Micra, Qashqai, Note and Leaf in Sunderland.
Lotus in Norfolk are Malaysian owned.
Aston Martin in Gaydon, Warwickshire are owned by two Kuwaiti companies – Investment Dar and Adeem Investments.
Bentley Motors in Crewe, owned by Volkswagen.
Rolls Royce, built in Goodwood, owned by BMW.
Jaguar/Land Rover – built in the West Midlands and Liverpool but owned by Tata Motor Company of India.
MG Motors at Longbridge, Birmingham – owned by SAIC of China.
Vauxhall Motors are part of General Motors and build Astras at Ellesmere Port and the Vivaro van in Luton
Ford stopped passenger car production in the UK in 2002 and Transit production in Southampton in 2012/13 but continues to manufacture engines in Bridgend and Dagenham and transmissions in Halewood.
Reliant no longer build cars – the Robin was transferred to a company called B&N Plastics in Suffolk, but although they supply parts, no Robins are being manufactured at the moment.
(Updated 10 April 2013)
*Source:SMMT 2012
