https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/jaguar-land-rover-boss-ralf-speth-ready-to-follow-bmw-with-brexit-factory-shutdown-bqq6gs7jj




The Times September 23 2018
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is considering shutting its factories for several weeks next April in contingency planning for a no-deal Brexit.
Britain’s biggest car maker is understood to be mulling over a similar move to that announced by BMW, which is bringing forward its annual summer shutdown at its Oxford factory to follow the country’s March 29 departure from the EU. JLR’s move would affect about 10,000 workers at four UK factories that build cars and engines.
It reflects growing turmoil in Britain’s car industry, which is on the retreat after several years of blockbuster growth. It has been hurt by weak consumer confidence, Brexit jitters and the slump in demand for diesel engines.
BMW last week told workers it planned to close its Mini factory in Oxford for at least a month from April 1, as a contingency measure against the risk that tariffs and customs checks bring the industry to a grinding halt.
JLR chief executive Ralf Speth has spoken to BMW in recent months and discussed bringing forward its own summer shutdown. The company said: “We are planning for different scenarios while keeping our options open — no final decisions have been taken.”

What is happening hear is that the Europhile heads of the motor industry in Britain are extremely unhappy with Brexit and will do everything in their power to undermine it. Moving jobs abroad has been on the agenda for a while with these people.

Let's not forget that the head of JLR is German!

Despite what is being said in the local press about JLR, they aren't profitable, apart from on paper. They make too few cars to recoup their upfront model investment and the UK labour rates are extremely high. It makes perfect sense to move the production facilities to cheaper labour markets.

That is explosive stuff and very interesting.
Suffice to say if JLR is closing, I think it will cause vast political turmoil not to mention the economic and social effects.

Do you know if the plant in Gaydon will close or reduce staff?

I fear (that if Brexit is successful) JLR will create one massive sh*tstorm and move abroad with their production facilities in a fit of pique. They will obviously, and publicly, blame Brexit. But in any event, I expect them to gradually become less dependent on the UK for production facilities until they can wind them up. I guess we'll see a 5-10 year run down.

Of course, they will keep design/development here in order to claim the "Britishness" of the marques, but whether the buying public will wear this is open to debate.

I would guess that Gaydon is safe as it is design/development and a lot of money has been invested there over the years.

Just another point to throw into the melting pot...

Let's not forget the Ford with all its motoring know how and buying capacity couldn't make a go of JLR when it held it as part of its Premier Auto Group.

JLR is living in a time-warp. If you look at what they're doing with their product range they are actually repeating many of the now accepted mistakes of British Leyland from the 60s and 70s. History, as they say, repeats itself!

Food for thought indeed!
I think I am right in saying that Ford who closed their plant in Leamington may years ago, though it was pretty small beer, but are they still in Britain?

As far as I know, Ford no longer produce vehicles in the UK. The last (Transit vans at Southampton) was transferred to Turkey on an EU (spit!) grant to Turkey.

The following plants are still operating in the UK...

Bridgend, Wales - Engines
Croyden stampings - Various parts
Dagenham, Essex - Engines
Getrag, Liverpool - Gearboxes
Halewood, Liverpool - Gearboxes

All in all, a far cry from the heydays!

Now Solihull affected...

Two-week Solihull shutdown

All is not well in JLR! And that is a lot of stock vehicles. - We used to sell them to a finance company once built so we didn't have money tied up in stock. I'm not sure if after the Rover crash this still happens.

A Jaguar Land Rover spokesman said: “As part of the company’s continued strategy for profitable growth, Jaguar Land Rover is focused on achieving operational efficiencies and will align supply to reflect fluctuating demand globally as required.

“The decision to introduce a two week shutdown period later this month at Solihull is one example of actions we are taking to achieve this.''



Sounds gobbledygook to me.

They've put quite a lot of their eggs in the Chinese market, and it's turning to the brown smelly stuff on them. They can't blame this on Brexit.

Whilst I have every respect for the engineering staff at JLR (They do amazing things with quite little money) I have little respect for the general management or the marketing people. As I've said before, they're repeating past mistakes that cashiered BL. - Too many models chasing too few customers and no idea about strategic direction.

Basically, as with this country, the management are thick. Same with the present government.

I've just read a book about Hitler's British spies. Trust me, things haven't changed since the last war. - Incompetent politicians, incompetent management and those that are out for themselves at the expense of all others.

Before I worked for L/R, a neighbour (L/R contractor) told me that he failed to see how they ever got a car out of the door!

https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1032570/Brexit-news-Jaguar-Land-Rover-Solihull-Birmingham-Slovakia-tata-motors-leave-EU?fbclid=IwAR3yRGpdW5zbb8bQv7_aUJpb6u_c-hJAzh7g3SFckgfrYogpw4myWEkmlj4


EXCLUSIVE: ANGRY and frustrated politicians have reacted to the approval of a massive €125million (£110million) payment by the European Union to help fund a new Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) plant in Slovakia, just days before the stalwart UK car brand announced plans to close its UK operations in Solihull, Birmingham

I'm sure it will.I have a friend who left a 'good' job to work there last year for a better future. now if they do close he'll be one of the first to go,if its last in first out.