The number of cars built in the UK last month increased by more than 40 per cent over the same time last year to the highest May total since 2004, new figures showed today.

There were 141,146 cars manufactured in UK factories, a rise of 42.2 per cent over May 2011, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said.

Car production has increased by 17.3 per cent in the year to date.

Paul Everitt, chief executive of the SMMT, said: “Car manufacturing in May hit the highest level of output since 2004 posting 42.2 per cent growth, a sizeable recovery against volumes hampered by last year’s Japanese tsunami.

“This boost, coupled with robust year-to-year results, demonstrates the strength of the UK automotive manufacturing industry and shows why it continues to attract high levels of international investment.”

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.