David Cameron monitoring Lotus 'very closely' over fears it will leave UK Meanwhile, strong global demand for cars and civil aircraft has sparked a sharp increase in profits for GKN. The British automotive and aerospace parts maker saw revenue rise 17pc to £1.7bn in the first quarter of 2012, while pre-tax profits also increased 17pc to £125m. The company is benefiting from its premium car customers, such as BMW, enjoying record sales and the world's largest planemakers, Airbus and Boeing, securing increased orders from airlines. Nigel Stein, chief executive, said: "GKN has made an excellent start to the year with sales up 17pc and margin improvement in all four divisions. Last year's acquisitions, Getrag Driveline Products and Stromag, have been successfully integrated and both made a strong contribution. Despite some macroeconomic uncertainty, we expect 2012 to be a year of good progress for GKN based on our market leadership positions, advanced technology and extensive global footprint. Mr Stein said sales in GKN's automotive division rose 26pc to £847m, while aerospace sales improved 5pc. The company's land systems arm, which makes parts for mining and construction vehicles, rose 20pc to £264m.