[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/british-cars-brexit\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/british-cars-brexit\/","headline":"British Cars and Brexit","name":"British Cars and Brexit","description":"Britain\u2019s car manufacturing industry churned out more cars in 2015 than in any year since 2005, delivering some 1,595,697 units, with almost four in five of those heading overseas and more than half ending up in EU countries. We build more than 50 different models are produced in the UK from the sensible Vauxhall Astra in Ellesmere Port to the luxurious Bentley Continental in Crewe, via Jaguar\u2019s frantic F-Type [pictured below], and we\u2019re very good at it. However, big question […]","datePublished":"2016-08-16","dateModified":"2016-08-17","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/isabelle-lawrence\/#Person","name":"Isabelle Lawrence","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/isabelle-lawrence\/","identifier":30,"description":"Max Wheeler is a leading motoring journalist and classic car specialist at Smart Motoring, renowned for his sharp insight and infectious passion for all things automotive. With years of experience covering motoring news, supercars, and the enduring legacy of classic cars, Max brings stories to life with style and authority. Whether it\u2019s the roar of a Lamborghini, the elegance of an Aston Martin DB5, or the cultural impact of vintage motoring icons, he delivers expert commentary that inspires enthusiasts and collectors alike. Dedicated to celebrating the heritage and future of driving, Max Wheeler is your trusted voice for classic car news and beyond.","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d331506e3c530b5ec4930c30a01ed8cc29b0537227573ae5da98f559e681401?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d331506e3c530b5ec4930c30a01ed8cc29b0537227573ae5da98f559e681401?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Smart Motoring","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/feature-29.jpg","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/feature-29.jpg","height":520,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/british-cars-brexit\/","about":["LATEST CAR NEWS"],"wordCount":737,"articleBody":"Britain\u2019s car manufacturing industry churned out more cars in 2015 than in any year since 2005, delivering some 1,595,697 units, with almost four in five of those heading overseas and more than half ending up in EU countries.We build more than 50 different models are produced in the UK from the sensible Vauxhall Astra in Ellesmere Port to the luxurious Bentley Continental in Crewe, via Jaguar\u2019s frantic F-Type [pictured below], and we\u2019re very good at it.However, big question marks have descended over the nation\u2019s car manufacturing industry since Britain\u2019s vote to leave the European Union.Although the cars are assembled in the UK, the parts are shipped in from around the world. As it stands, the single unit cost of building a car in the UK is believed to have remained largely unchanged, but production costs could bloat when Brexit is executed, with many anticipating plant closures – and job losses – if production in the UK becomes too costly.Shutting down UK production would be a mammoth call from any car maker but we\u2019ve picked out five of the most important cars built in Britain and what Brexit could mean for them.Jaguar XF and Land Rover Discovery Sport Every car in the Jaguar and Land Rover ranges are built in Solihull and Halewood. From the Evoque to the XE, F-Type and F-Pace to the Discovery Sport, they all roll out of these Merseyside and West Midland facilities.So it\u2019s perhaps unsurprising that Jaguar Land Rover has been the perfect picture of cool, post-Brexit. One of the honchos high up in JLR has insisted that no jobs will be shed at the group, adding that any EU-imposed tariffs would be \u201ccutting off European noses to spite their faces\u201d. Keep calm, indeed.Bentley Bentayga It\u2019s a similar story for Bentley, which has upgraded its Crewe headquarters in recent years to the tune of \u00a3840 million to facilitate the development of its first ever SUV – the Bentayga – which launched earlier this year. Even with Bentley\u2019s super rich reputation, we can\u2019t envisage them squandering this scale of investment.Mini HatchFew car brands signify Britishness than Mini, despite its German ownership as part of the BMW Group. More than 200,000 cars were produced at Mini\u2019s Oxford plant in 2015, most of them being the cool and affordable Mini Hatch [pictured].There hasn\u2019t been any comment from Mini as such, however BMW – which employs 8,000 Brits and counts the UK as its fourth biggest market – did say in the lead-up to the referendum that Britain leaving the EU \u201cwon’t make life any easier\u201d and threatened that Brexit \u201ccould impact on future investment plans\u201d.Nissan QashqaiWith half a million new cars rolling off its production line every year, Nissan\u2019s car manufacturing plant in Sunderland is Britain\u2019s largest, and \u201cone of the most efficient and productive in the Nissan\/Renault global family\u201d, according to the Unite union.It employs almost 7,000 people, and produces some of Nissan\u2019s most important models such as the all-electric Leaf, the Juke, and this: the mega-selling Qashqai.Nissan has been one of the more vocal car makers over Brexit saying that future investments in its UK operations would depend on a \u201cnumber of factors, including the UK\u2019s trade and tariff negotiations with the European Union\u201d.Production of the current second generation Qashqai should remain unaffected by the Brexit vote, but it seems unlikely that trading arrangements will be signed off by the time the Sunderland plant stakes its claim to buil\u00a0d the next gen model in 2018.With so much uncertainty, the Renault-Nissan Alliance could shift production to a less unpredictable environment like one of its nine plants in France. As the Qashqai accounts for 60 per cent of Sunderland\u2019s output, that would be a hammer blow for the north-east.Honda CivicHonda\u2019s Swindon plant currently produces the Jazz, CR-V and this: the Civic, although we\u2019ve pictured the 306bhp Type-R model here because horsepower reasons.With new Jazz and CR-V models launching in 2015, we\u2019d imagine that Swindon would retain production for some years yet, however with a new Civic expected over the next 12-18 months, there\u2019d be reason to think that production of the hatchback on UK soil would be uncertain.Thankfully, Honda has already expressed its ongoing UK commitment so there\u2019s a good chance that Civic production could continue in the UK."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Latest News","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"British Cars and Brexit","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/british-cars-brexit\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]