Britain's auto industry, which lost its last major homegrown manufacturer in 2005, is back among Europe's top producers following an Asia-inspired revival led by Nissan Motor Co. and Tata Motors Ltd. of India.
The U.K. built 1.34 million cars in 2011, a 6 percent gain, ranking it fourth in Europe and narrowing the gap with France and Spain. Estimated output of 1.45 million autos this year would be more than double the total in Italy, home to Fiat SpA.
Japanese carmakers, which chose Britain as a European base in the 1980s, account for 52 percent of the total after Nissan hit record production at the country's biggest plant in Sunderland, England.