French car manufacturers increased output by 3.3% in 2004 reaching a record 5.94 million vehicles, according to the trade organization Committe des Constructeurs Francais d'Automobiles (CCFA).
Total car production increased by 2.5% from the 2003 figure. Of total car output, 56%, or 2,892,106 vehicles, was made in factories in France. This domestic total was an increase of 0.3% from the equivalent figure in 2003.
Growth in light utility vehicles reached 8.9%, with half being produced outside France. Production of industrial vehicles grew by 14.6% to 52,249, with more than three quarters produced in France.
Car production outside France increased by 5.3% during the year, but CCFA stressed that the industry remained firmly rooted at home. "Production from French manufacturers continues to be done for the most part in France: 55.4% of all vehicles are made in factories in France, even though the French market represents less than a third of all sales for French manufacturers," CCFA said.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2005
