After Brexit: Here's The State Of The British Auto Industry In America

The UK's Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders is tasked with, according to the SMMT, promoting "the interests of the UK automotive industry at home and abroad."

Prior to the June 23 Brexit vote for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union, the SMMT insisted that voting remain was critical to the UK automotive industry. Brexit could jeopardise jobs, automakers were in agreement that remaining was important, and pointed to the UK's 800,000 auto industry jobs and its £15.5 billion contribution to the economy as reasons to stay in the European Union.

But the Brexit vote to leave, led largely by UKIP's Nigel Farage, produced a 52% in favour result, a margin of victory valued at 1.27 million votes. Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron will resign. Economic predictors, predicted to stabilize, rode a rollercoaster overnight. Says the SMMT's Mike Hawes today: "Government must now maintain economic stability and secure a deal with the EU which safeguards UK automotive interests. This includes securing tariff-free access to European and other global markets."

Securing such a deal will not be easy or quick, nor will subsequent free trade deals with other nations be immediately forthcoming. The actual Brexit process will be very long. Britons' EU passports didn't spontaneously combust early this morning.

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In the meantime, therefore, much will continue as usual. The UK automotive industry will continue to build cars and send them tariff-free to other EU nations because, for now, the UK is still part of the EU. British-built cars and SUVs will continue to be shipped to North America under existing rules and regulations, as well.

And which cars and SUVs are those? These are the 15 best-selling British brand vehicles in America through the first five months of 2016.

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Vehicle/Brand/Automaker	2016 5 Months  U.S. Sales	2015 5 Months  U.S. Sales	% Change
Jaguar-Land Rover °	39,191	34,288	14.3%
Land Rover -Brand	30,943	27,669	11.8%
Mini -Brand	20,230	24,086	-16.0%
Mini Cooper	15,331	17,259	-11.2%
Mini Cooper Hardtop 2-Door *	5,390	8,802	-38.8%
Mini Cooper Hardtop 4-Door *	5,336	6,375	-16.3%
Mini Cooper Clubman *	3,404	11	30,846%
Mini Cooper Convertible *	1,195	1,314	-9.1%
Mini Cooper Coupe *	3	207	-98.6%
Mini Cooper Roadster *	3	550	-99.5%
Land Rover Range Rover Sport	8,748	9,657	-9.4%
Jaguar -Brand	8,248	6,619	24.6%
Land Rover Range Rover	6,994	7,893	-11.4%
Land Rover Discovery Sport	5,890	587	903%
Land Rover LR4	5,349	3,622	47.7%
Mini Countryman	4,851	6,237	-22.2%
Land Rover Range Rover Evoque	3,959	5,845	-32.3%
Jaguar XF	3,680	3,144	17.0%
Jaguar F-Type	1,700	1,701	-0.1%
Jaguar XJ	1,601	1,547	3.5%
Jaguar F-Pace	666	---	---
Jaguar XE	598	---	---
Bentley -Brand	484	1,026	-52.8%
Aston Martin -Brand ‡	430	425	1.2%
Rolls-Royce -Brand	374	352	6.3%
Lotus -Brand ‡	70	65	7.7%
Mini Paceman	48	590	-91.9%
Jaguar XK	3	227	-98.7%
Land Rover LR2	3	65	-95.4%
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Total	60,779	60,242	0.9%

Source: BMW USA, Jaguar-Land Rover, ANDC, WSJ
* Mini Cooper breakdown by variant
‡ ANDC estimate