Battle · 8 companies
British car makers
Built in Britain. Who turns cars into profit?
JLR leads on turnover and net assets; Rolls-Royce Motor Cars on pre-tax profit and profit margin; McLaren Automotive on growth. JLR is the biggest by turnover at £22,911m, against £6,629m at Nissan UK. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars keeps the most of every £100 it takes, £12.47 as pre-tax profit.
The year ends are up to 15 months apart, so this compares each company's most recent filing rather than the same twelve months. JLR and Aston Martin file group accounts that include subsidiaries; Nissan UK, Toyota UK, MINI Plant Oxford, Bentley, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and McLaren Automotive file for a single company, which flatters the groups on size.
Accounts compared: JLR to Mar 2026 · Nissan UK to Mar 2025 · Toyota UK to Mar 2026 · MINI Plant Oxford to Dec 2025 · Bentley to Dec 2025 · Rolls-Royce Motor Cars to Dec 2025 · Aston Martin to Dec 2025 · McLaren Automotive to Dec 2024
The Numbers
| # | Company | Turnover | Change | Pre-tax profit | Margin | Employees | Pay per head | Turnover per head | Net assets | Bank and cash | Accounts to | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | JLRJaguar Land Rover Automotive PLC | £22,911m | n/d | -£308m | -1.3% | 42,850 | £77,000 | £535,000 | £8,064m | £2,750m | Mar 2026 | Group |
| 2 | Nissan UKNissan Motor Manufacturing (UK) Limited | £6,629m | -9.9% | -£888m | -13.4% | 6,703 | £61,000 | £989,000 | -£497m | £293m | Mar 2025 | Single company |
| 3 | MINI Plant OxfordBMW (UK) Manufacturing Limited | £2,246m | +5.7% | £93m | 4.1% | 2,946 | £51,000 | £762,000 | £466m | n/d | Dec 2025 | Single company |
| 4 | BentleyBentley Motors Limited | £2,123m | -3.5% | £85m | 4.0% | 4,119 | £77,000 | £515,000 | £692m | £336m | Dec 2025 | Single company |
| 5 | Toyota UKToyota Motor Manufacturing (UK) Limited | £1,939m | -1.1% | £13m | 0.7% | 2,606 | £61,000 | £744,000 | -£541m | £80k | Mar 2026 | Single company |
| 6 | Aston MartinAston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings PLC | £1,258m | -20.6% | -£364m | -28.9% | 2,906 | £91,000 | £433,000 | £316m | £250m | Dec 2025 | Group |
| 7 | Rolls-Royce Motor CarsRolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited | £914m | -6.6% | £114m | 12.5% | 1,980 | £72,000 | £462,000 | £202m | £0.7m | Dec 2025 | Single company |
| 8 | McLaren AutomotiveMcLaren Automotive Limited | £694m | +84.0% | -£135m | -19.5% | 2,251 | £51,000 | £308,000 | -£127m | £14m | Dec 2024 | Single company |
Ranked by turnover. Click any column to sort. The leader on each measure is highlighted. Movements are against each company's own prior year. Pre-tax profit is filed except where marked (est.). Nissan Motor Manufacturing (UK) sells its cars to other Nissan companies at prices set within the group, and its turnover also includes Nissan and Renault vehicles built elsewhere that it buys to sell on, so it is not a measure of cars built in Sunderland alone (accounts to 31 March 2025, pp. 2 and 6). Toyota Motor Manufacturing (UK) sells every car and engine it makes to other Toyota companies, mainly Toyota Motor Europe, so its turnover is the price paid within the group, not what drivers pay (accounts to 31 March 2026, pp. 4 and 34). BMW (UK) Manufacturing sells each MINI to BMW AG as soon as it is built, at list prices agreed within the group, and BMW AG carries the research and development and warranty costs, so its turnover and profit reflect group pricing rather than showroom sales (accounts to 31 December 2025, p. 41).
Category winners
Biggest by turnover
JLR
£22,911m
Most pre-tax profit
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
£114m
Highest profit margin
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
12.5%
Fastest-growing turnover
McLaren Automotive
+84.0%
Biggest employer
JLR
42,850 staff
Highest pay per head
Aston Martin
£91,000
Most turnover per head
Nissan UK
£989,000
Largest net assets
JLR
£8,064m
Most cash
JLR
£2,750m
The Takeaway
- Rolls-Royce Motor Cars converts the most of its turnover. Of every £100, £12.47 reaches pre-tax profit, against a loss of £28.93 at Aston Martin.
- JLR is the largest on the top line, £22,911m of turnover, 3.5x Nissan UK's £6,629m.
- McLaren Automotive is growing fastest, turnover +84.0% on its own prior year. Nissan UK, Toyota UK, Bentley, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and Aston Martin went backwards.
- JLR is the biggest employer with 42,850 people; Aston Martin pays the most per head, an average staff cost of about £91,000.
- JLR has the largest balance sheet, net assets of £8,064m.
Who keeps the most of every £100 of sales?
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars keeps the most: £12.47 of every £100 of turnover becomes pre-tax profit. Aston Martin does worst, losing £28.93.
Financing bites hardest at Aston Martin: £13.56 of every £100 goes on interest.
Every profit figure here is the one the company filed.
The chart splits each company's turnover into £100: what goes on people, on interest and on everything else, and what is left as profit.
Out of every £100 of turnover
Each bar is £100 of that company's own turnover, so companies of any size compare on one scale; the figures are pounds out of each £100, not millions. Companies run from the best margin to the worst. Payroll is staff costs, financing is interest paid, other running costs are everything else, and profit is pre-tax profit, filed or estimated as marked in the table. A loss is not an extra cost: it is the part of the costs that runs past the £100 line, marked with a red bracket. Hover over any segment for its figure.
Who is the biggest, and does the comparison hold?
By turnover the order is JLR (£22,911m), Nissan UK (£6,629m), MINI Plant Oxford (£2,246m), Bentley (£2,123m), Toyota UK (£1,939m), Aston Martin (£1,258m), Rolls-Royce Motor Cars (£914m), McLaren Automotive (£694m).
By headcount, JLR leads with 42,850 employees.
The comparison holds with the dates stated plainly: JLR to Mar 2026, Nissan UK to Mar 2025, Toyota UK to Mar 2026, MINI Plant Oxford to Dec 2025, Bentley to Dec 2025, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars to Dec 2025, Aston Martin to Dec 2025, McLaren Automotive to Dec 2024. The bases differ: group accounts include the businesses a company owns, single-company accounts do not.
Turnover on the latest filing
Who is growing fastest?
McLaren Automotive grew fastest, turnover +84.0% on its own prior year, ahead of MINI Plant Oxford (+5.7%), Toyota UK (-1.1%), Bentley (-3.5%), Rolls-Royce Motor Cars (-6.6%), Nissan UK (-9.9%), Aston Martin (-20.6%).
Turnover change on each company's own prior year
Who employs the most, who pays the most, and who brings in the most per head?
JLR employs the most, 42,850 people, against 6,703 at Nissan UK.
Aston Martin has the highest average staff cost, about £91,000 a head; McLaren Automotive the lowest, about £51,000.
Nissan UK brings in the most turnover per employee, about £989,000, against £308,000 at McLaren Automotive. It says as much about the business model as the workforce: a marketplace or a wholesaler needs far fewer people per pound than a restaurant or a gym.
JLR
42,850
employees, about £77,000 pay a head, £535,000 turnover a head
Nissan UK
6,703
employees, about £61,000 pay a head, £989,000 turnover a head, -3.8% on the year
Toyota UK
2,606
employees, about £61,000 pay a head, £744,000 turnover a head, -4.2% on the year
MINI Plant Oxford
2,946
employees, about £51,000 pay a head, £762,000 turnover a head, -6.5% on the year
Bentley
4,119
employees, about £77,000 pay a head, £515,000 turnover a head, -2.2% on the year
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
1,980
employees, about £72,000 pay a head, £462,000 turnover a head, +2.4% on the year
Aston Martin
2,906
employees, about £91,000 pay a head, £433,000 turnover a head, -0.5% on the year
McLaren Automotive
2,251
employees, about £51,000 pay a head, £308,000 turnover a head, +2.9% on the year
Who owns each one?
Ownership as recorded on the Companies House register of people with significant control, in the bands the register uses.
No controller recorded
The register shows no person with significant control.
Who owns JLR →
Nissan Motor Manufacturing (UK) Limited · 01806912Held by Nissan Holdings (Uk) Limited
A company recorded as a person with significant control.
Who owns Nissan UK →
Toyota Motor Manufacturing (UK) Limited · 02352348Held by Toyota Motor Corporation
A company recorded as a person with significant control.
Who owns Toyota UK →
BMW (UK) Manufacturing Limited · 03950868Held by Bmw (Uk) Holdings Limited
A company recorded as a person with significant control.
Who owns MINI Plant Oxford →
Bentley Motors Limited · 00992897Held by Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
A company recorded as a person with significant control. 1 outstanding charge on the register.
Who owns Bentley →
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited · 03522604Held by Bmw (Uk) Holdings Limited
A company recorded as a person with significant control.
Who owns Rolls-Royce Motor Cars →
Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings PLC · 11488166Owned by its shareholders
Listed on the London Stock Exchange, so no single controller appears on the register.
Who owns Aston Martin →
McLaren Automotive Limited · 01967717Held by Mclaren Automotive Holdings Limited
A company recorded as a person with significant control. 3 outstanding charges on the register.
Who owns McLaren Automotive →
What does the full ledger show?
| Measure | JLR | Nissan UK | Toyota UK | MINI Plant Oxford | Bentley | Rolls-Royce Motor Cars | Aston Martin | McLaren Automotive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered name | JAGUAR LAND ROVER AUTOMOTIVE PLC | NISSAN MOTOR MANUFACTURING (UK) LIMITED | TOYOTA MOTOR MANUFACTURING (UK) LIMITED | BMW (UK) MANUFACTURING LIMITED | BENTLEY MOTORS LIMITED | ROLLS-ROYCE MOTOR CARS LIMITED | ASTON MARTIN LAGONDA GLOBAL HOLDINGS PLC | MCLAREN AUTOMOTIVE LIMITED |
| Company number | 06477691 | 01806912 | 02352348 | 03950868 | 00992897 | 03522604 | 11488166 | 01967717 |
| Incorporated | 2008 | 1984 | 1989 | 2000 | 1970 | 1998 | 2018 | 1985 |
| Accounts filed | 7 September 2026 | 3 January 2026 | 7 August 2026 | 7 August 2026 | 28 September 2026 | 17 July 2026 | 20 May 2026 | 10 October 2025 |
| Turnover, prior year | n/d | £7,357m | £1,960m | £2,124m | £2,200m | £979m | £1,584m | £377m |
| Pre-tax profit, prior year | £1,057m | -£67m | £35m | £91m | £187m | £135m | -£289m | -£843m |
| Staff costs | £3,314m | £409m | £159m | £152m | £319m | £143m | £265m | £114m |
| Payroll share of turnover | 14.5% | 6.2% | 8.2% | 6.8% | 15.0% | 15.6% | 21.1% | 16.4% |
| Employees, prior year | n/d | 6,966 | 2,720 | 3,150 | 4,213 | 1,934 | 2,920 | 2,187 |
| Dividends paid | £448m | n/d | n/d | n/d | n/d | £93m | n/d | n/d |
| Charges outstanding | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
A figure the filing does not disclose is shown as n/d; a zero in a filing is treated as not disclosed. Rounding: below £0.1m in thousands, £0.1m to £2m to one decimal place, above that to the nearest million.
British car makers: common questions
Who is the biggest of JLR, Nissan UK, Toyota UK, MINI Plant Oxford, Bentley, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, Aston Martin or McLaren Automotive?
JLR, with turnover of £22,911m in the year to March 2026.
Which makes the most profit?
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars: £114m pre-tax in the year to December 2025.
Which employs the most people?
JLR, with 42,850 employees in its latest accounts.
JLR or Nissan UK: which is bigger?
JLR, with turnover of £22,911m against £6,629m at Nissan UK on their latest filings. On margin, JLR keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
JLR or Toyota UK: which is bigger?
JLR, with turnover of £22,911m against £1,939m at Toyota UK on their latest filings. On margin, Toyota UK keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
JLR or MINI Plant Oxford: which is bigger?
JLR, with turnover of £22,911m against £2,246m at MINI Plant Oxford on their latest filings. On margin, MINI Plant Oxford keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
JLR or Bentley: which is bigger?
JLR, with turnover of £22,911m against £2,123m at Bentley on their latest filings. On margin, Bentley keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
JLR or Rolls-Royce Motor Cars: which is bigger?
JLR, with turnover of £22,911m against £914m at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars on their latest filings. On margin, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
JLR or Aston Martin: which is bigger?
JLR, with turnover of £22,911m against £1,258m at Aston Martin on their latest filings. On margin, JLR keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit. The full head to head is in the VS Series. Read the VS page →
JLR or McLaren Automotive: which is bigger?
JLR, with turnover of £22,911m against £694m at McLaren Automotive on their latest filings. On margin, JLR keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
Nissan UK or Toyota UK: which is bigger?
Nissan UK, with turnover of £6,629m against £1,939m at Toyota UK on their latest filings. On margin, Toyota UK keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
Nissan UK or MINI Plant Oxford: which is bigger?
Nissan UK, with turnover of £6,629m against £2,246m at MINI Plant Oxford on their latest filings. On margin, MINI Plant Oxford keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
Nissan UK or Bentley: which is bigger?
Nissan UK, with turnover of £6,629m against £2,123m at Bentley on their latest filings. On margin, Bentley keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
Nissan UK or Rolls-Royce Motor Cars: which is bigger?
Nissan UK, with turnover of £6,629m against £914m at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars on their latest filings. On margin, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
Nissan UK or Aston Martin: which is bigger?
Nissan UK, with turnover of £6,629m against £1,258m at Aston Martin on their latest filings. On margin, Nissan UK keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
Nissan UK or McLaren Automotive: which is bigger?
Nissan UK, with turnover of £6,629m against £694m at McLaren Automotive on their latest filings. On margin, Nissan UK keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
Toyota UK or MINI Plant Oxford: which is bigger?
MINI Plant Oxford, with turnover of £2,246m against £1,939m at Toyota UK on their latest filings. On margin, MINI Plant Oxford keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
Toyota UK or Bentley: which is bigger?
Bentley, with turnover of £2,123m against £1,939m at Toyota UK on their latest filings. On margin, Bentley keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
Toyota UK or Rolls-Royce Motor Cars: which is bigger?
Toyota UK, with turnover of £1,939m against £914m at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars on their latest filings. On margin, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
Toyota UK or Aston Martin: which is bigger?
Toyota UK, with turnover of £1,939m against £1,258m at Aston Martin on their latest filings. On margin, Toyota UK keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
Toyota UK or McLaren Automotive: which is bigger?
Toyota UK, with turnover of £1,939m against £694m at McLaren Automotive on their latest filings. On margin, Toyota UK keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
MINI Plant Oxford or Bentley: which is bigger?
MINI Plant Oxford, with turnover of £2,246m against £2,123m at Bentley on their latest filings. On margin, MINI Plant Oxford keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
MINI Plant Oxford or Rolls-Royce Motor Cars: which is bigger?
MINI Plant Oxford, with turnover of £2,246m against £914m at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars on their latest filings. On margin, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
MINI Plant Oxford or Aston Martin: which is bigger?
MINI Plant Oxford, with turnover of £2,246m against £1,258m at Aston Martin on their latest filings. On margin, MINI Plant Oxford keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
MINI Plant Oxford or McLaren Automotive: which is bigger?
MINI Plant Oxford, with turnover of £2,246m against £694m at McLaren Automotive on their latest filings. On margin, MINI Plant Oxford keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
Bentley or Rolls-Royce Motor Cars: which is bigger?
Bentley, with turnover of £2,123m against £914m at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars on their latest filings. On margin, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit. The full head to head is in the VS Series. Read the VS page →
Bentley or Aston Martin: which is bigger?
Bentley, with turnover of £2,123m against £1,258m at Aston Martin on their latest filings. On margin, Bentley keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
Bentley or McLaren Automotive: which is bigger?
Bentley, with turnover of £2,123m against £694m at McLaren Automotive on their latest filings. On margin, Bentley keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars or Aston Martin: which is bigger?
Aston Martin, with turnover of £1,258m against £914m at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars on their latest filings. On margin, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars or McLaren Automotive: which is bigger?
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, with turnover of £914m against £694m at McLaren Automotive on their latest filings. On margin, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
Aston Martin or McLaren Automotive: which is bigger?
Aston Martin, with turnover of £1,258m against £694m at McLaren Automotive on their latest filings. On margin, McLaren Automotive keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit. The full head to head is in the VS Series. Read the VS page →
Where do these figures come from?
Each company's latest accounts filed at Companies House. Each links to its full Spark Intel profile, which names the filing it comes from.
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