Land Rover’s Solihull factory is running at full capacity, churning out big 4x4s as fast as it can to meet record global demand, while in Manchester, the country’s only Hummer H2 dealership reports steady sales of the US sport utility vehicle.

There is no suggestion that sales of big sports utility cars are likely to be affected by the chancellor’s decision on Wednesday to add a meagre £45 to road tax on the least fuel-efficient vehicles, including all the biggest offroaders.