*UPDATED* Production ceased at Browns Lane

[racing girl]

Ford today announced production at Browns Lane, Coventry will cease with the loss of 1100 jobs.

Jaguar Story

RG /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/england.gif

 

[huck6]

Re: Reported today, Ford may close Jaguar plant

Wondering if this is a bit of a scare tactic? Germany is starting to experience similar problems with its car manufacturing industry.

 

[coldplugs]

Re: Reported today, Ford may close Jaguar plant

Last week, The Economist magazine had a lengthy section on the car industry that stated that Ford is producing value below the cost of their capital. They state that Jaguar has "swallowed" $6 billion over the 15 years of Ford ownership and that sales are currently well below their targets.

Overall (according to their assessment) we can expect lots of changes in the car industry over the next few years and they mention the possibility that Ford may need to sell Jaguar, Land Rover, or Volvo.

 

[sunbeammadd]

Re: Reported today, Ford may close Jaguar plant

They were threatening to close Land-Rover at Solihull the other week, but then didn't.

 

[Don Lattimer]

Ford has just announced that it will sell the Jaguar F1 program.

https://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=168442

Don
1971 Marcos

 

[catfood]

Living about 15 miles from Browns Lane and about 3 miles from the Land Rover plant (and knowing people who work at both) if Land Rover had gone as well the local economy would have been devastated.

Although the UK motor industry has supposedly shrunk (as far as workfoce and number of manufacturers is concerned) we are only producing slightly less cars than when the industry was at its peak in 1970. Unfortunately the size of the market has grown tremendously in the last 35 years and the percentage of the UK market that is taken up by home produced cars is much, much smaller.

There are a lot of people around here that suffered from the Rover debarcle and are still worried about what Ford will do in the long run.

Apparently its the fault of the US car buying public, YOU'RE NOT BUYING ENOUGH JAGS! So do your bit and support the UK motor industry and help save an important part of our heritage!!!!!!

 

[rovernut]

No more Jaguar in F/1 and Cosworth likely to be sold off........This is bad for the current state of F/1 in that Minardi and Jordan use customer Cosworths, and although Minardi was quick to fire back they have a contract for engines through 2005.........How much development work will be done.........As for Jaguar disappearing from the circus.........The car never lived up to anywhere near a front running car even with Eddie Ervine driving..............A sea of red ink is all that followed and continues through to their car line and Ford has had enough........Shame really but i guess the reality of the current automotive economic climate..........I can see Jaguar falling into Far Eastern ownership somewhere in the not to distant future

 

[Sherlock]

I have wondered if Ford (aka Jaguar) tryed to stretch their resources too thin...

For many years they basically had two models to sell, the big saloon cars and a sports/touring car. Admittedly they have had financial trouble over the years that has been well documented though...

And then in recent years they developed a pile of new car lines in market segments they had never been in before (or at least for many years - 1960's), and I wonder if it was too much for what is really a small company...

Any thoughts? Dissenters are also welcome too if they think I'm out to lunch /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Regardless, it's a sad day /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[sunbeammadd]

It's a sad day too for Coventry - once the hub of British car manufacture. Am I right in thinking Peugeot-Citroen are the only company left making cars there?