UK car output falls 41.4% in October to lowest since 1956

LONDON Reuters - British car output fell by 41.4% last month to its lowest October level since 1956 as the global lack of semiconductor chips and a plant closure hit the sector, according to a trade industry body.

On Friday, a total of 64,729 cars were rolled off British production lines, according to the data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders SMMT.

The global supply chain problems and Honda's closure of its factory in late July resulted in the fall.

Car output in the first 10 months of the year stood at 721,505 vehicles, a decline of 2.9% on 2020 when sites were closed for months because of the coronaviruses epidemic in Britain.

The SMMT said that full-year car and van output would be below 1 million for a second consecutive year, but is expected to return to that level in 2022, based on an independent forecast by AutoAnalysis.

Britain's automotive sector is resilient but with COVID resurgent across some of our largest markets and global supply chains stretched and even breaking, the immediate challenges in keeping the industry operational are immense, said SMMT Chief Executive Mike Hawes.