The United Kingdom has always been a major focal point for the global automotive industry with some of the most iconic brands being designed and built across the country.
Which cars are manufactured in the UK? Well, there have been many different makes and models over the years. Legendary vehicles produced in the UK include the likes of the Bentley Blower, the Jaguar E-Type, the MINI, the McLaren F1, the Ford GT40, the Lotus Elise, the Morris Minor and the Ford Escort Mk1.
During the 1950s, the UK was the second-largest manufacturer of cars in the world and the largest exporter. In subsequent decades, there has been a decline in growth and a number of UK car manufacturers have been bought by foreign companies.
After the 2008 recession, the UK automotive industry then began to rebuild its reputation. It produced over 1.7 million cars in 2017 and was ranked 13th in a list of leading car producers worldwide in 2019.
Fast forward a couple more years and both Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic have understandably had an effect on British car brands and production. In 2020, the total number of cars produced in the UK slumped to 921,000. But in 2021, things improved ever so slightly. In the first seven months of 2021, UK production of British-built cars was up by 18% compared with the first seven months of 2020.
How many car manufacturers are in the UK? At present, there are around 30 manufacturers building in excess of 70 car models in the UK. Eight out of 10 cars produced are exported overseas to over 160 markets.
Top 5 Cars made in the UK
Throughout the peaks and troughs over the years, British car manufacturers will always be something to celebrate. Today, the UK is a mid-ranking car manufacturer with Tata/Jaguar Land Rover the biggest producer of all UK car companies.
Here, we’ve chosen our top five cars that are manufactured in the UK today – in no particular order.
- Land Rover Discovery
- Jaguar F-type Coupe
- Nissan Qashqai
- Aston Martin DBX
- MINI Hatchback
From the versatile Land Rover Discovery and sporty Aston Martin DBX, to the practical Nissan Qashqai and iconic MINI Hatchback, there are many incredible cars manufactured in the UK.
Get your hands on a piece of history by shopping for your next car at motors.co.uk – we sell used cars made in Britain and beyond!
