Motor Vehicle, Car Production, Export car

Motor Vehicles Home production falls but exports still rising
Total car production in the three months to October increased by 2.7 per cent compared with the previous three months.

Car export production also grew in this period, by 5.4 per cent, but home production fell by 5.9 per cent. The overall rise may partly be explained by the abnormal situation in the previous three months. During this period there was an unusually high number of shutdowns in the industry.

In comparison with the same three months a year ago, total production fell by 4.7 per cent. Home production fell by 19.9 per cent, but this was offset by a rise in export production of 1.5 per cent. However, caution is advisable when interpreting year-on-year comparisons. An atypical pattern of holidays resulted from the Jubilee in June 2002.

Total car production in October 2003 was 0.9 per cent higher than in October 2002. Although home production in October was 21.7 per cent lower than last year, export production was 12.4 per cent higher.