AUDI hits the Two Million milestone in the UK after 50 years.

Fifty years after its first domestic delivery Audi UK has registered an A3 Sportback plug-in hybrid as its two-millionth car sale

• First Audi model codenamed F103 reached the UK in 1965, when the brand sold just 32 cars
• Two millionth car sold by the UK importer is an A3 Sportback e-tron plug-in hybrid
• Sales success achieved through more than two decades of strong and virtually unbroken growth –  2014 was no exception with a record 158,987 sales

When just 32 cars bearing the four rings found homes in the UK in 1965, it would have seemed improbable that an incredible two million more would follow, but this major milestone has today been reached by Audi UK almost fifty years later.

The first four-ringed car sold to a UK customer was a ‘compact executive’ in a model range of just one, internally codenamed the F103 and publicly known simply as ‘The Audi’. It was to be the springboard for a range that in 2015 numbers some 51 model types ranging from subcompact city cars to ten-cylinder supercars, and which has recently welcomed the A3 Sportback e-tron, the brand’s first ever plug-in hybrid and the two millionth car to be handed over to a UK customer.  

As parent company Audi AG edges ever closer to selling two million cars globally in a single year – around 1,741,000 cars were delivered to customers worldwide in 2014 – its UK importer has just cumulatively broken through the two million barrier buoyed by more than two decades of recession-resistant sales strength, during which time its trajectory has been upward in all but three years. From a base of just 14,344 cars in 1991, the brand exceeded 100,000 annual sales for the first time in 2007, and in 2014 posted a total of 158,987 deliveries. 

Director of Audi UK André Konsbruck marked the momentous occasion by saying: “It’s hugely gratifying for the team in the UK to reach this significant milestone in the brand’s history in the UK, but it’s the contributory figures lying behind the headline number which really speak volumes about our recent past and our future aspirations. 

Domestically the brand has risen from humble beginnings in the Sixties to become the leader in the premium segment, and the last two decades have delivered virtually constant, and in all but three years record-breaking, growth. These are really robust foundations on which we plan to build consistently and substantially with the help of an ever expanding portfolio of models.”

Ingolstadt born and bred

‘The Audi’ which projected the green shoots of this abundant growth was built by Auto Union AG, the conglomerate whose emblem contained a ring representing each of its four constituent companies Audi, DKW, Horch and Wanderer. 

It was assembled at the company’s Ingolstadt plant in Bavaria, Germany, which remains the headquarters of the modern day Audi brand to this day, and it was the first car to leave the production line with a four-stroke engine rather than the more commonplace two-stroke design. In terms of horsepower, the 1700cc engine produced 72PS, a fraction of the 570PS available in the most powerful production Audi to head the current range – the limited edition R8 LMX. 

Priced at £160,000 OTR, its 5.2-litre V10 powerplant is capable of propelling the supercar to 62mph in just 3.4 seconds and on to a top speed of 198mph.

Available as a two-door ‘coupé’, four-door saloon or estate, ‘The Audi’ was essentially the precursor to the Audi 80 and 90, which went on to form the conceptual basis of the A4, the compact executive saloon which sparked a revolution for the Audi brand in 1995 and began to decisively cement its position as a fully fledged member of the premium sector establishment.

Two million cars further down the line, the model that has posted the milestone for Audi UK combines a conventional 1.4-litre TFSI petrol engine with an electric motor to deliver the potential for up to 176mpg with CO₂ emissions of just 37g/km.

The latest electric plug-in hybrid variant of the Audi A3, which was crowned World Car of the Year in 2014, can run exclusively on electric power for up to 31 miles at speeds of up to 80mph, or can be powered by petrol combustion alone. When the two power sources are combined, an overall operating range of up to 584 miles is possible. The battery powering the electric motor can be charged by plugging the A3 Sportback e-tron into a home wallbox for as little as two hours and fifteen minutes.

USA - Acura celebrates 2,000,000 US produced cars in 20 years with a refreshed ILX Sedan

• Acura marks major milestone with U.S. sales of two-million North American-made Acura vehicles
• ILX production begins today at Marysville, Ohio Auto Plant

The Acura brand today celebrated sales in the U.S. of the 2 millionth North American-made Acura vehicle, 20 years after Acura production began in the U.S., as the first new 2016 Acura ILX sports sedan rolled off the assembly line at the Marysville Auto Plant in Ohio. The redesigned and reengineered 2016 ILX delivers more performance, more advanced technology and more luxury refinement than ever before.

"This year marks the 20th anniversary of the start of Acura production in Ohio, so the introduction of the ILX is another exciting stage in our history with the Acura brand," said plant manager Rob May. "Our associates are applying our tremendous experience in producing high quality Acura products and will leverage the production of TLX and ILX in one plant to meet the high expectations of our Acura customers."

Production of the Acura ILX, the gateway to the Acura sedan lineup, began in 2012 at the company's Greensburg, Indiana plant. It now will be produced alongside Acura's highest volume luxury sedan, the Acura TLX, which launched in August of last year. The Marysville Auto Plant has made major investments to further advance Acura quality with the launch of the TLX sedan and will continue to advance the world-class levels of quality for Acura customers with the launch of the new ILX.

"Reaching two million in sales of North American-made Acura vehicles as we begin production of the 2016 ILX at the Marysville Auto Plant portends great things for the Acura brand," said Michael Accavitti, senior vice president and general manager of the Acura Division. "We deeply appreciate the loyalty of our customers which fuels our desire to build Acura products of the highest quality in America."

The 2016 ILX gets a major injection of Acura performance DNA with the application of an all-new 2.4-liter DOHC direct-injected i-VTEC engine and 8-speed dual clutch transmission, the same powertrain that drives one version of the popular new Acura TLX sedan. The 2.4-liter engine that powers both the TLX and new ILX is produced at the nearby Anna, Ohio engine plant. The Marysville plant introduced new equipment and processes to support production of the 2016 Acura ILX, including new glass installation and rear suspension equipment.

Acura now has sold 2 million North American-made Acura vehicles to its customers in America, since U.S. production of the first Acura model began in 1995, with the Acura CL produced at the East Liberty Auto Plant. In 2014, 94 percent of Acura vehicles sold in America were made at the company's plants in Indiana, Ohio and Alabama, using domestic and globally sourced parts. Total U.S. sales of North American-made Acura models reached an all-time high of 158,043 vehicles in 2014, on total sales of 167,483 Acura performance-luxury cars and SUVs for the year.

Starting this fall, Acura will begin production of the next-generation Acura NSX supercar at the new Performance Manufacturing Center (PMC), located adjacent to the Marysville Auto Plant and the nearby development center of Honda R&D Americas, Inc., which led the development of the NSX.

Qashqai celebrates as the 2,000,000th rolls off the lines in the UK.

• Two million Qashqai production achieved in record time
• Milestone caps a superlative year for the original crossover
• Designed, engineered and made in the UK, supporting more than 11,000 jobs

Less than eight years after inventing the crossover segment, (HEAVEN FORBID THEY DONT MENTION THE FREELANDER, RAV4, VITARA AND DOZENS OF OTHERS) the Nissan Qashqai has once again made automotive history after production passed two million units in record time.

With Nissan’s unrivalled package of quality, styling and technology, the Qashqai has reached its latest manufacturing milestone quicker than any other model in the history of the UK car industry.

Designed, engineered and built in Nissan’s UK facilities for European customers, this latest landmark caps a remarkable 2014 for the Qashqai, with January’s launch of the new generation model sparking a string of accolades including What Car? magazine’s coveted Car of the Year.

Paul Willcox, Chairman, Nissan Europe, said: “The Qashqai is helping Nissan to go from strength to strength in Europe. Two million customers can’t be wrong. This is further evidence of their trust in our brand. Thank you to all of our loyal customers and I congratulate all my colleagues in Sunderland for reaching this latest milestone.

“The Qashqai is one of 12 new models we have launched in the past 12 months in Europe, which has given Nissan the strongest and most cohesive line-up in our history.”

The two millionth Qashqai to roll off the production line was a magnetic red model in the new n-tec grade which is destined for a UK customer. Introduced last month, the new grade includes unique new styling features as well as Nissan Safety Shield technologies like Forward Emergency Braking, Traffic Sign Recognition, Lane Departure Warning and High Beam Assist.

Nissan has invested £534 million in the design, development and production of Qashqai in the UK, supporting more than 11,000 jobs in the UK car industry. Of the two million Qashqais made in Sunderland since December 2006, 85% (1,706,633) have been exported to 132 international markets, from the Congo to Qatar.

UK Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the Rt Hon Dr Vince Cable MP, said: “Nissan is one of the driving forces behind the UK’s world-renowned automotive industry. They currently employ more than 11,000 people across the UK and have invested more than £500m in the innovation, design and production of this car, directly supporting the local and national economies. The UK automotive industry is thriving. Last year, we increased our production to more than 1.5 million cars in the UK – that’s a car rolling off the production line every 20 seconds. 

“Through the UK government’s industrial strategy we are backing the automotive sector as it goes from strength to strength. We are providing the right environment to give businesses the confidence to invest and create high-skilled jobs.” 

Qashqai is made alongside the all-electric LEAF on Line 1 at Nissan Sunderland Plant, which has been on round-the-clock, three-shift production since 2010 in order to meet customer demand, with a car currently rolling off the production line every 62 seconds, or 58 per hour.

As well as What Car? magazine’s Car of the Year, awards for Qashqai in 2014 include Tow Car’s 'Car of the Year', ebay customers' 'New Car of the Year' and the Prize for Quality from prestigious Spanish business magazine Ejecutivos.

Fundamental to the Qashqai’s development were Nissan's European Design Centre in Paddington and European Technical Centre in Cranfield, Bedfordshire. The popularity of Qashqai has also helped Nissan to reach record market share in the UK, with sales and marketing operations based in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire. More than 11,500 people are employed in total at these sites and in UK dealerships, supporting a further 26,000 jobs in the UK supply chain.

Total global production of the Qashqai now tops 2.5 million, with the first generation Qashqai also made by Nissan in China and Japan. From 2015 the new Qashqai will also be manufactured in Nissan’s plant in St. Petersburg for domestic sales in Russia.

The Qashqai is now closing in on the Micra as the highest volume car in the history of Nissan Sunderland Plant, with 2,368,704 Micras made in Sunderland over an 18-year period from 1992 to 2010.