Hyperdrive
U.K. Makes Fewest Cars Since 1956 Amid Chip Crunch, Virus Hit
- Production plunged 7% to less than 860,000 vehicles last year
- SMMT sees rebound in 2022 as local plants are modernized
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Automakers had their worst year in the U.K. since 1956 after the global semiconductor shortage, pandemic-related staffing issues and the closing of a key Honda Motor Co. factory hammered output.
Production fell some 7% to less than 860,000 cars in 2021, the fewest in more than six decades and about a third below pre-pandemic levels, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said Thursday.