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Official: UK car production is booming

Nearly 10% MORE cars were produced in the UK this September compared to the same time last year, data released today from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has revealed What’s more, 1,125,433 cars were manufactured in the UK by the end of the month – that’s a 3.9% rise compared to 2012. September new car sales beat forecasts UK car sales hit four year high in 2012 This means UK car production has returned to pre-recession levels. The rolling 12-month total has now topped 1.5 million vehicles.

Goodwood Revival – with Mr Bean

Rowan Atkinson as Mr Bean will feature at this year's Goodwood Revival But one big petrolhead – who is a Goodwood regular – is Rowan Atkinson, and Goodwood has persuaded him to recreate the Mr Bean sketch – for it is Rowan who is Mr Bean – driving a Mini whilst seated on the roof ,utilising a variety of household articles to control the Mini from a comfy armchair. I can’t confess to being a Mr Bean fan (although I adore Black Adder), but Mr Bean has made Rowan a very rich man, so I’m sure it will prove a big draw. Apart from his daily sketch recreation, Rowan will be driving a 1965 Austin Mini Cooper S in the St Mary’s Trophy saloon car race, which this year is all-Mini and recreates a Mini race that took place at Goodwood in the early sixties.

MINI Countryman to be built in India

MINI sells worldwide – even in the US – and, despite claims it was a step too far for the brand, the MINI Countryman has been a big hit for MINI, offering as it does most of MINI’s charm but in a bigger, more family friendly package and with the option of All4 4WD for a degree of off-road ability (well, certainly the ability to treat boot sale car parks with disdain). Now, for the first time, BMW is to build the MINI outside Europe with a new MINi assembly facility coming on stream in Chennai, India, where BMW already makes 3 and 5 Series models as well as the X1 and X3. The plan is part of BMW’s plan of ‘Production follows the market’ where BMW aim to make their cars where they’re sold, so with the MINI brand showing strong growth in India since its launch it makes sense to build them there.