Following its best half-year since 2008, UK car manufacturing output dropped by 11.2% year-on-year in July, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
There were 117,665 cars produced in the UK in July, of which 80.9% were built for export. A total of 95,165 cars were manufactured for export, down 7.6% year-on-year, while the number of cars manufactured for the domestic market fell by 24% to 22,500.
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The SMMT said that July’s performance reflected the normal cyclical fall in output during the summer months, when seasonal shutdown programmes occur across the majority of manufacturers to provide an essential period for plant maintenance, upgrades and retooling.
The SMMT also highlighted that changes to holiday patterns meant that the traditional annual shutdown started earlier at some plants.
Year-to-date car manufacturing output fell by 1.4% compared to the same period in 2014, with 911,307 units produced.
Mike Hawes, chief executive at the SMMT, said: "Car production is traditionally subject to a degree of fluctuation during the quieter summer months with some manufacturers pausing production to invest in upgrades and prepare for new model launches, as well as to manage holiday leave. The industry remains in a strong position, with more than 911,000 cars produced so far this year and some significant new model introductions due in the autumn."
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