Business

Manufacturing accelerates

CAR manufacturing accelerated ahead last month, according to official figures. A total of 132,570 cars were made in the UK in July 2014 - a 2.8 per cent rise on the figure for July 2013, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said. Last month's total took the year-to-date figure to 923,884 - a 3.4 per cent increase on the total for the first seven months of last year. Cars made for export rose 2.9 per cent last month which took the export market for the period since 2010 to the five million mark. SMMT chief executive, Mike Hawes, said this was "a major milestone" adding that the automotive industry had "continued its renaissance" in July 2014.