THE Sunderland plant is the first factory in the UK to build more than 400,000 vehicles a year, new research has revealed.
423,000 cars were built last year at the factory meaning that a new record has been set – information which has led to one professor calling Nissan’s achievement as ‘remarkable’.
As reported by Auto Express, automotive expert Prof. Garel Rhys discovered the record. In his Superlatives in UK Car Production report, the professor states the Sunderland plant’s 423,000 record as ‘remarkable’.
The professor praised the plant’s attitude and efficient working practices, saying: ‘Its performance during the recession has lessons for all car manufacturers.’
Councillor Paul Watson, leader of Sunderland City Council, said: ‘We are immensely proud of the progress and performance of the Nissan plant and its outstanding workforce over the last five years.’
The Sunderland plant opened in 1986 and has since created more than 12,000 jobs, and as of the end of 2009, has built more than five million cars with around 80 per cent of production for export.