Photo: Marián Birošík, Public DomainThe biggest producer, Škoda Auto last year recorded the highest increase in production, by 12.5 percent, to 765,171 cars. The Hyundai plant in Nošovice, Moravia, increased its production by five percent to 358,400 and Kolín-based joint venture TPCA boosted its output by less than one percent to 220,611.

Mr. Wojnar warned though that both Škoda Auto and Hyundai car producers have started to reach the ceilings of their production capacities with a maximum number of shifts operating and problems developing with supplies from sub-contractors.

Exports of Czech car producers increased last year by 8.6 percent to 1.6 million vehicles, while domestic sales rose by four percent to 104,163 vehicles.

“We are not expecting the fast rate of growth to continue in the future. It will be difficult to exceed that eight percent,” Mr Wojnar said. According to him, the increase in production could reach about five percent this year. Besides production limits, the rate of growth will also depend on the situation on various markets.

The country’s truck production, represented by Tatra Kopřivnice, increase last year by 56 percent to 1,326 lorries, while production of buses dropped by three percent to 4,388. The highest production was recorded by Iveco Bus with 3,885 vehicles, followed by SOR with 454 buses and KH Motor Centrum with 49 buses. Motorcycle producer Jawa Moto recorded a drop in output by 29 percent to 1,228 pieces.

In terms of car production relative to the size of the country’s population, neighbouring Slovakia remains the world’s largest car producer, currently manufacturing 191 cars per 1,000 inhabitants, and is considerably ahead of the Czech Republic in these terms.

Car production in Slovakia also reached a record figure last year, with the country’s three major car makers, Kia Motors, Peugeot Citroën and Volkswagen manufacturing 1.04 million cars.