China's car production last month grew 52.1 per cent from the same month last year to a record 291,900 units, breaking the previous record set in June of 275,100 units, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics yesterday.

Production from January to last month was 2.65 million units, up 24.2 per cent from a year earlier. The bureau did not offer an explanation for last month's increase.

Car production for the year is expected to grow slightly faster than the growth rate for the first 11 months, said Jiang Yuan, an official at the bureau's Industrial Transportation Statistics Department.

Growth in the mainland's car output was boosted by a low comparison base last year, Mr Jiang said. Car production last year was 2.31 million units, up 11.7 per cent.