Nissan Qashqai drives production record

• Most cars from a single UK factory
• Production up by 14% in 2011
• More than 300,000 Qashqais built

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Nissan has created a new record for the amount of vehicles produced at a single UK car factory.

The car maker built 480,485 vehicles at its Sunderland factory in 2011 – an increase of 14% over the figure for 2010.

Nissan's huge increase in production was largely driven by demand for the Qashqai; more than 300,000 examples were built in 2011. The factory also produces the Juke and Note.

Kevin Fitzpatrick, Nissan's vice-president for UK production, said that the UK factory had now returned to pre-tsunami production volumes.

The Sunderland factory has two production lines, one of which is dedicated purely to Qashqai production and runs 24 hours a day, five days a week.

Mr Fitzpatrick said: 'We can't make enough Qashqais.'

The Sunderland factory employs 5462 people.