JLR Releases Statement on One Week Production Stand Down
Corporate Business

JLR Releases Statement on One Week Production Stand Down

Jaguar Land Rover has released a very short statement confirming their one-week production shutdown as was done last year. Today we have confirmed this year’s holiday dates to employees across all sites.  As part of this, we have also confirmed that there will be an additional week of production stand-down 8th – 12th April due to potential Brexit disruption.

BMW's MINI Plant in Oxford
Corporate Business

First Jaguar, Now MINI to Slow Production on Brexit Fears

First Jaguar, now MINI. Brexit is already playing havoc with the business of making cars in the United Kingdom and striking fear into global automakers. BMW said Tuesday that it would shut its MINI factory in England for one month of maintenance immediately after Brexit because it can’t be sure of getting the parts it needs if the United Kingdom leaves the European Union without a trade deal. Brexit will take effect on March 29. The MINI shutdown will begin on April 1. “While we believe this worst-case scenario is an unlikely outcome, we have to plan for it,” said BMW, which employs 4,200 workers at its MINI plant in Oxford.

Jaguar Castle Bromwich Production Facility - © Copyright David Lally
Corporate Business

JLR Cutting Production at Castle Bromwich Plant

Britain’s biggest carmaker Jaguar Land Rover said it will go down to a three-day production week at its Castle Bromwich plant in central England just days after Ralf Speth, Chief Executive Officer of Jaguar Land Rover, warned about the impact of Brexit and diesel policy on manufacturing. Tata Motors-owned Jaguar Land Rover on Monday confirmed a cut in its production schedule at the Castle Bromwich plant which manufactures Jaguar cars due to “continuing headwinds” impacting the British car industry. 

Aston Martin Gaydon
Corporate Business

Aston Martin Issues Brexit Statement

The following statement has been issued by Aston Martin in regards to the current climate of uncertainty surrounding Brexit and the British automotive industry. This comes only days after Ralf Speth of JLR issued a statement requesting clarity regarding the economic issues surrounding Brexit. The statement from Aston Martin reads: As an industry that makes long-term investment and employment decisions, the Automotive sector needs clarity and certainty across the planning landscape. Over the past few months this clarity has been lacking, but today we are greatly encouraged to see the Prime Minister and her Cabinet come to a consensus on the UK’s future trading relationship with the EU, which addresses both the concerns of industry, whilst respecting the result of the EU Referendum. As a global company, Aston Martin Lagonda naturally advocates a free trade environment and as such, we […]

Jaguar Land Rover Chief Executive Calls For Brexit Certainty To Avoid An Annual Bill Of More Than £1 Billion
Corporate Business

Post-Brexit Certainty Called for by JLR CEO Ralf Speth

Prof. Dr. Ralf Speth, Chief Executive Officer of Jaguar Land Rover Automotive plc, Britain’s largest vehicle manufacturer, has called on the UK Government to urgently provide post-Brexit certainty for business including guaranteed tariff-free access and frictionless trade with the European Union. Ahead of the publication of a White Paper outlining the Government’s proposed post-Brexit trading relationship with the EU, Dr. Speth said: Jaguar Land Rover’s heart and soul is in the UK. However we, and our partners in the supply chain, face an unpredictable future if the Brexit negotiations do not maintain free and frictionless trade with the EU and unrestricted access to the single market. We urgently need greater certainty to continue to invest heavily in the UK and safeguard our suppliers, customers and 40,000 British-based employees. A bad Brexit deal would cost Jaguar Land Rover more than £1.2bn […]

BMW MINI British pressings plant Swindon
Corporate Business

British Car Production Falls Again in September

Reuters is reporting that British car production fell 4.1 percent in September from the same month a year earlier, the fifth decline in six months that adds to signs of faltering consumer and business confidence. Exports, accounting for 80 percent of total output, fell 1.1 percent, while domestic demand slumped 14.2 percent, according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), pushing total production down to 153,224 cars.

Jaguar Land Rover JLR JLRNA Sales
Jaguar

Jaguar Land Rover to Hire 5,000 Workers

Jaguar Land Rover, Britain’s biggest automaker, will hire 5,000 staff as it boosts its skills in autonomous and electric technology, a welcome business endorsement as Prime Minister Theresa May starts Brexit talks after an election with unexpected results. Jaguar Land Rover, which employs more than 40,000 people globally, said it would hire 1,000 electronic and software engineers as well as 4,000 additional personnel including in manufacturing, most of whom will be based in Britain.

Built in Britain Not Essential to MINI Brand
MINI

Built in Britain Not Essential to MINI Brand

Building in Britain is not essential to BMW’s Mini brand as most customers do not know where the compact cars are built and its new electric model could be made elsewhere, the brand’s boss told Reuters on Tuesday. Peter Schwarzenbauer said the German carmaker would decide by the end of 2017 whether to build the new electric model at an existing site in Britain or the Netherlands, or whether to pick a new location.

British Car Industry Warns of Sales Downturn
Corporate Business

British Car Industry Warns of Sales Downturn

According to the Guardian, the British car industry has warned of a sales downturn this year as the economic uncertainty that followed the Brexit vote kicks in. A fifth consecutive year of growth saw nearly 2.7m new car registrations in the UK last year, a rise of 2.2% on 2015. But the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said it expected growth to reverse, with a sales decline of 5-6%, as the cost of new cars rises due to sterling’s fall. An end to cheap financing deals would also hit sales, it said. But Mike Hawes, the SMMT’s chief executive, said the domestic market remained comparatively strong. “This is historically an incredibly high level. We’re not talking about a collapse,” he said, adding that the market had been more resilient than expected after the EU referendum. But, he said: “Clearly, […]