Jaguar Land Rover remains UK’s biggest carmaker for second year running

The Tata Motors-owned Jaguar Land Rover has once again been named the largest automotive manufacturer in Britain, accounting for more than 30% of all domestic car production last year.

The news follows today’s announcement from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) that UK car manufacturers set a new record in 2016, producing 1,727,471 vehicles.

Jaguar Land Rover’s three vehicle manufacturing plants in Liverpool and the West Midlands increased the company’s UK production output 8% over the previous year to 544,401. Jaguar Land Rover vehicles account for five of the top ten British best-sellers globally.

The latest figures further demonstrate the dramatic transformation undergone by Jaguar Land Rover, which has increased production from its British plants by more than 240% since 2009, when total annual production stood at 158,000 units.

Andy Goss, Jaguar Land Rover Global Sales Director, said, “Jaguar Land Rover has once again shown that investment in new models, skills and advanced technology are critically important to ensure Britain has a thriving automotive industry – even in the face of current uncertainty.

“To be the UK’s largest automotive business once again is a tremendous achievement. We are proud to call ourselves a British company and are committed to ensuring manufacturing remains the backbone of the British economy.”

The company’s record year was driven by its robust investment plan, with 15 all-new and significantly enhanced models hitting the market.  The Jaguar F-Pace – the brand’s highest-volume model – propelled Jaguar production forward by 67%, while the Range Rover Evoque, regained the position of Land Rover’s highest-volume car following the introduction of the Convertible.

Since 2010 Jaguar Land Rover has invested close to £4 billion in its four British manufacturing plants, which together produce 10 model lines and the company’s advanced Ingenium diesel engines. This investment includes the installation of Europe’s largest aluminium body shop, two new state-of-the-art press lines and significant technology upgrades across all assembly lines. To support this considerable expansion, the company’s manufacturing headcount has grown from 7,700 in 2010 to more than 19,000 today, demonstrating its commitment to job creation.

JLR, which has committed more than £3 billion to product creation this fiscal year, achieved its best ever full-year global sales in 2016, selling more than one car every minute with retails of 583,313 vehicles, up 20% on 2015.