UK production slumps back

UNITED KINGDOM // Car production contracted by close to a third in the United Kingdom last year, despite a record leap in output in the last month of the year. According to figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), output fell by 30.9 per cent. In total, 999,460 cars were manufactured in the UK in 2009. There are some signs, however, that stability is returning to the UK car industry, as figures for December revealed a 58.9 per cent jump in output compared to the same period in 2008.