Aug 20 (Reuters) - British car production fell by 11.2 percent in July compared with the same month a year ago as changes to holiday patterns resulted in early annual shutdowns at some plants, an industry body said on Thursday.
Total production fell to 117,665 cars for the month, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said.
"Car production is traditionally subject to a degree of fluctuation during the quieter summer months with some manufacturers pausing production to invest in upgrades and prepare for new model launches, as well as to manage holiday leave," said Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive.
Cars built for export, which account for around four in five of all British-made cars, fell 7.6 percent year on year to 95,165. There was a 24 percent fall in cars built for the domestic British market.
SMMT said that Year-to-date output was down 1.4 percent to 911,307 units compared with previous year.
The agency said, however, that domestic demand was up 8 percent.
Exports have suffered in recent months because of cooling demand in China, Britain's biggest non-EU export market in 2014, and a drop in sales in Russia, its third-biggest non-EU destination, in the wake of sanctions over the Ukraine crisis.
British consumer prices rose in July and core inflation hit a five-month high, triggering market bets on the Bank of England moving slightly faster than previously expected once it starts raising interest rates. (Reporting by Mansi Goenka in Bengaluru; Editing by Grant McCool)