Midland manufacturing success story Land Rover roared into 2014 with another record-breaking performance – clocking up its best UK sales figures in more than 60 years.
The Solihull-based group sold nearly 55,000 vehicles in the UK last year, beating the 2012 record, with strong demand for the new Range Rover helping drive the surge. The turnover increase saw Land Rover sell more vehicles than at any time since the first UK 4x4 was produced in 1948, new figures showed.
Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders figures show that Land Rover sold 54,699 vehicles in the UK last year, an all-time record.
Jaguar sales were also up for the year, from 14,109 in 2012 to 16,210 for 2013, which saw the launch of the Jaguar F-Type, the new two-seater sports car.
The UK sales record for Land Rover follows a year of increasing profits for parent group Jaguar Land Rover. Pre-tax profits for the first quarter of 2013-14 surged by 25 per cent to £415 million, marking a daily profit of £4.5 million.
The JLR boom came as UK new car sales accelerated to a six-year high of nearly 2.265 million in 2013.
A total of 2,264,737 new cars were registered in 2013, up 10.8 per cent on the 2012 figure and the best annual total since 2007, according to the SMMT.
SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said: “With its best year since pre-recession 2007, the UK new car market has helped stimulate the country’s economic recovery.
“While the European market is only now showing signs of improvement, the UK has consistently outperformed the rest of Europe with 22 consecutive months of growth.
“The 10.8 per cent increase in 2013 reflects the attractive financial offers available, as well as increased demand for more technologically advanced new cars.”
Meanwhile, SMMT figures show that Longbridge-based MG sold 504 cars in 2013, a fall on the 2012 figure of 782.
