Rolls-Royce and Jaguar Land Rover see sales growth in 2016

British car manufacturing companies Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and Jaguar Land Rover have both seen an annual increase in sales in 2016. While the former said its 2016 sales were the second highest ever in its 113-year history, JLR said sales crossed the half-a-million benchmark for the very first time.

Roll-Royce, which is owned by German automaker BMW, said it had delivered a total of 4,011 cars to customers in more than 50 countries, which was up 6% from 2015. Barring the Middle East, Rolls-Royce said it achieved record sales in all global regions with the Americas retaining the top region.

Other highlights by the company, which has a global dealership network of 136, was that 2016 had successful new product launches such as its Dawn, Wraith Black Badge and Ghost Black Badge models. Also, while 2016 saw the creation of 100 new jobs at its headquarters, its Goodwood manufacturing plant is ready for new models amid major investment, Rolls-Royce said.

Speaking on the same, Torsten Müller-Ötvös, CEO at Rolls-Royce said in a statement, "This remarkable result emphatically affirms the global appeal of the very finest British luxury goods to the world's most discerning patrons. Rolls-Royce is a true Great British manufacturing success story, one driven by the hard work and ingenuity of the men and women employed at our Centre of Luxury Excellence in Goodwood, West Sussex."

Meanwhile, the other British car maker, JLR, saw sales jump 20% on-year to 583,313 in 2016. While this is equivalent to more than one JLR vehicle being sold in a minute, it follows JLR enjoying seven consecutive years of growth since being sold to Indian automaker Tata Motors in 2008.

While JLR sales have historically been dominated by its Range Rover and Land Rover divisions, 2016 saw Jaguar's contribution grow higher than previous years and close to that of the other two divisions. This was amid the increased demand for the Jaguar F-Pace 4X4.

Sales of the SUV saw a 77% on-year increase to 148,730 vehicles. Meanwhile, sales from its Land Rover division increased just 8% to 434,583 cars. Region-wise, China was the top-performing market with sales up 31% in December alone, according to The Telegraph.

These improved sales figures come at a time when the UK is witnessing a lot of uncertainty amid the Brexit decision. It follows Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SSMT) warning recently that Britain's car market has peaked and could be set for a decline in sales in 2017.