After speaking to representatives from BMW, which has recently exported the millionth vehicle from its Oxford plant, and Nissan, which designed and built the Micra and Qashqai in Sunderland, the Minister pointed out the achievements of the sector.
The British automotive industry is the best in the world
Lord Digby Jones
Minister of State for Trade and Investment
The UK automotive industry, he noted, makes up 11 per cent of the country's total, while two of Europe's leading car manufacturing bases are located in Britain.
Lord Digby Jones added: "The British automotive industry is the best in the world.
"Seven out of ten of the top global vehicle manufacturers recognise the UK as an excellent place to come and base themselves.
He also used the motor show as an opportunity to highlight the skills of the UK workforce, after pointing out that Lotus' new Evora sports car was designed and built by British workers.
UK’s Automotive sector
Read more about the UK’s Automotive sector
Running from July 23rd to August 3rd, the British International Motor Show is the UK's largest consumer exhibition.
More than 60 international firms will display their latest innovations, with sportscars from Ferrari and Spyker sitting alongside electric vehicles from Quiet Cars and Tesla.
In 2006, 415,536 people attended the show, while more than 550,000 are expected to visit the 2008 event.
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