Jaguar Land Rover speeds up to record half-year sales

JLR sold 240,372 vehicles worldwide in the first six months of this year - up 14 per cent on the same period last year and the company’s best ever half-year total.

It added that it had delivered more vehicles in the first six months of 2014 than in the whole of 2010.

Sales of Jaguar cars rose 16 per cent to 43,587 in the period January to June, while Land Rover sales were up 14 per cent to 196,785.

JLR total sales last month were just under 40,000 - a rise of 17 per cent on June 2013.

JLR group sales operations director Andy Goss said: “It is very encouraging to see both of our Jaguar and Land Rover brands delivering such strong performances for the first half of 2014.

“Range Rover Sport sales are up remarkably since last year and, 21 months since it was rolled out, the Range Rover remains strong, with sales performance continuing to grow year-on-year.

“Our top-selling model, the Range Rover Evoque, also continues to show solid growth.

“For Jaguar, the F-Type continues to drive sales and raise brand awareness with more customers around the world.”

JLR plans to invest £3.5bn in its products and facilities in the financial year to March 2015.

The Indian-owned company is one of the UK’s largest exporters and generates in the region of 85 per cent of its revenue from exports.

Mike Wright, executive director, has called for Britain to train more students as engineers, better support science and innovation and have a proper long-term industrial strategy that promotes investment.

Earlier this week Rolls-Royce and its parent company BMW announced record half-year sales, while Bentley sales in the first six months of this year have risen 23 per cent.