LONDON — U.K. car production plummeted to a new low last month, marking the worst July performance for the industry since 1956, according to a trade group.The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said Thursday that U.K. manufacturers built just 53,438 vehicles in July, marking a 37.6% drop on July 2020.A global semiconductor shortage, factory shutdowns and worker absences amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic all contributed to the decline, SMMT said.While July was a particularly bad month, car production across U.K. factories is up 18.3% year-to-date compared to 2020, when Covid restrictions meant people couldn’t go to work.Some 552,361 cars have been built in the U.K. since January, but that’s still 28.7% down on 2019 pre-pandemic levels.Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said in a statement that the figures “lay bare the extremely tough conditions UK car manufacturers continue to face.”“While the impact of the ‘pingdemic’ will lessen as self-isolation rules change, the worldwide shortage of semiconductors shows little sign of abating,” Hawes said.The so-called “pingdemic” referred to people receiving notifications on their phones telling them to self-isolate for several days if they came into contact with someone who tested positive for Covid-19..cnbc.com