Wiltshire Business - As 2012 comes to a close, the UK automotive sector can look back and be proud of its achievements through the year.
While the economy endured a double-dip, automotive flew the flag for the UK, becoming Europe's second largest new car market and producing almost 10% more vehicles than it did last year.
Every single day, more than 4,000 new cars roll off UK assembly lines so, if the 80,000-strong Olympic Stadium crowd wanted to drive home in their own GB-built model, it would take just 19 production days. Domestic new car sales are even stronger with more than 5,500 new cars finding homes every day.
The UK automotive sector has an annual turnover of around £55bn with more than 40 global companies basing their operations here, delivering investment, boosting skills and employing more than 700,000 people.
This sizable workforce is world-renowned for its flexibility, engineering expertise and the quality of vehicles it produces.
"The UK has out-performed our European partners during 2012 with vehicle manufacturing and new car registrations rising strongly through the year," said Paul Everitt, SMMT Chief Executive.
"While most EU markets have been impacted by eurozone instability, the UK has benefited from £6 billion of new investment from global vehicle manufacturers during the past two years, with car production set to break all-time records in the years ahead.
"At the same time new car buyers have responded positively to the exciting and fuel-efficient new models now on the market helping to boost registrations and make the UK the second largest market in Europe."
Looking in detail at the UK new car market, it's clear that fuel efficiency and new types of vehicle have attracted buyers into dealerships.
A noticeable trend across every vehicle category has been the rise of fuel-efficient models – so regardless of the size or type of vehicle motorists are buying, it’s those that boast the greatest efficiency that typically perform the best.
