Strong domestic demand pushed UK car manufacturing to double digit growth in February, according to stats released by The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
Overall 146,955 cars were built in February 2016, 13.1% more than the 129,915 built in the same month 2015.
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42,075 of these were for domestic use, 24.4% more than the amount built in February 2015.
While not quite reaching double digit growth, the number of cars manufactured for export also saw strong growth – up 9.1% year-on-year to 104,880.
As a result, 71.4% of all cars built in the UK in February 2016 were for foreign markets, down from 74.0% in February 2015.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: "The UK automotive industry’s impressive growth continued into February, with demand from both domestic and overseas customers showing no signs of slowing. The outlook for the sector is bright, but much will depend on global political and economic conditions in the months and years to come."
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By GlobalDataJohn Leech, UK head of automotive at KPMG said that demand had remained buoyant in the UK, EU and US and that demand had bottomed out in China and Russia.
He added: "Although the UK and US markets are close to their peaks, the EU is still below its pre-recession demand levels suggesting that there is still plenty of room for further growth in our major export market. 2016 is shaping up to be a great year for UK car manufacturers and I forecast that the all-time production record will be set in 2020."
