Car industry warns of return to 'dark days' as manufacturing falls again

UK car manufacturing fell for the tenth month in the row in March as the industry warned that output from the sector could fall to 1980s levels in the event of a no-deal Brexit. The number of cars produced declined to 126,195, 14.4% lower than in the same period last year, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). It reported an 18.1% fall in vehicles produced for domestic use and a 13.4% downturn for overseas - the latter blamed on continued weaker demand in key Asian and European markets. But the SMMT added that exports represented nearly four-fifths of overall production, demonstrating the importance of free and frictionless trade.