Honda's Swindon Plant will have achieved a record production total of more than 176,000 units by the end of this year – an increase of 55 per cent on last year's total.

The carmaker links the hike in production to the demand-pull from Honda's successful car export drive to North America and Japan.

Approximately two thirds of Swindon's production was destined for that export drive during 2002 and included CR-Vs and Civic Ss for North America and Civic Type Rs for Japan.