Growing stocks of unsold cars around the world

Nissan has announced plans to cut its Sunderland workforce by 1,200. Thousands of unsold cars are stored around the factory's test track Photograph: Nigel Roddis/Reuters

Honda is halting production at its Swindon plant in April and May, extending the two-month closure announced before Christmas to four months. Honda and Japanese rival Toyota are both cutting production in Japan and elsewhere. Pictured, Hondas await export at a pier in Tokyo Photograph: Andy Rain/EPA

Land Rover Freelander cars await distribution outside the Halewood operations site in Liverpool Photograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty

Earlier this week Jaguar Land Rover said 450 British jobs would go Photograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty

The open car storage areas in Corby, Northamptonshire, are reaching full capacity Photograph: David Goddard/Getty

Imported cars stored at Sheerness open storage area awaiting delivery to dealers Photograph: David Goddard/Getty

Newly imported cars fill the 150-acre site at the Toyota distribution centre in Long Beach, California Photograph: David McNew/Getty

The build-up of imported cars at the port of Newark, New Jersey Photograph: Mark Lennihan/AP

Stocks of Ford trucks in Detroit, Michigan Photograph: Spencer Platt/Getty

New cars jam the dockside in the port of Valencia in Spain Photograph: Mike Hewitt/Getty

Peugeot cars await shipment to Italian dealers at the port of Civitavecchia Photograph: Giampiero Sposito/Reuters

Lord Mandelson unlocked £2.3bn in loan guarantees for the ailing car industry, including £1.3bn in loans from the European Investment Bank. Photograph: Matt Cardy/Getty

With many manufacturers on extended Christmas shutdown, the number of cars rolling off production lines in December fell 47.5% to just 53,823 Photograph: Matt Cardy/Getty