Jaguar Land Rover Leads Automotive Manufacturing League Table

jaguar land rover (select to view enlarged photo)

Jaguar Land Rover becomes Britain’s largest automotive manufacturer

Firm’s three UK manufacturing plants break the 500,000 production milestone in 2015

Company’s UK production output more than trebles since 2009

Growth is driven by unprecedented investment in new products and UK manufacturing plants to meet global consumer demand.

WHITLEY, COVENTRY, UK -- January 21, 2016: Jaguar Land Rover’s growth sees UK workforce more than double to 35,000 in 5 years

Jaguar Land Rover has become the largest automotive manufacturer in Britain. The news follows today’s announcement from the SMMT that UK car manufacturing has had its best year in a decade producing 1,587,677 vehicles in 2015. Jaguar Land Rover produced more than 500,000 cars and commercial vehicles at its three vehicle manufacturing plants in Solihull, Birmingham and Liverpool.

Under Tata Ownership, the company has seen a dramatic transformation in its business since 2009 when total annual production stood at 158,000 units. Since that time, Jaguar Land Rover has become the fastest growing UK automotive manufacturer with annual output rising by almost 70% thanks to more than Ł11bn of R&D investment to create an expanded and enhanced range from the two iconic British marques. In 2015 alone, Jaguar and Land Rover brought 11 new and refreshed cars to market, including the Jaguar XE and XF and the Land Rover Discovery Sport.

The news of Jaguar Land Rover’s achievement can also be attributed to the company’s unwavering commitment to its three British vehicle manufacturing plants which have each welcomed considerable investment to drive up capacity, capability and quality*. In addition, the company has invested Ł1bn in a state-of-the-art Engine Manufacturing Centre to build the high technology, low emissionIngenium engine. Together these facilities have created more than 10,000 manufacturing jobs in just 5 years, with the overall UK workforce more than doubling to 35,000.

Jaguar Land Rover's Executive Director of Manufacturing, Wolfgang Stadler said “Britain is the beating heart of our business, so becoming the country’s largest vehicle manufacturer is a remarkable achievement, demonstrating our steadfast commitment to the UK manufacturing sector.

“2015 was a challenging year for the industry against a backdrop of socio economic instability, but it is a testament to our strong product range and dedicated team of employees that Jaguar Land Rover has delivered year on year growth, with more exciting products to come.”

Jaguar Land Rover, who was last week named the best place to work in Britain by Bloomberg, delivered record sales in its home market in 2015 with over 100,000 vehicles registered for the first time in its history. This strong performance was also reflected in the US, where Land Rover was named the fastest growing car brand in the country. More than 80% of Jaguar Land Rover’s UK based production is exported to over 160 markets and this year the company will see further new products including the Jaguar F-PACE and Range Rover Evoque Convertible hit its global network of retailers.

It is the increasing global demand for its products that has seen Jaguar Land Rover announce plans to expand its international manufacturing footprint to support sustainable global growth. But with plans to invest a further Ł3bn in its products and facilities in the 2015/16 fiscal year, such as, the expansion of its Whitley and Gaydon R&D centres, the UK remains at the very heart of Jaguar Land Rover’s business.

*Jaguar Land Rover’s three UK vehicle manufacturing plants are as follows:

Solihull
The Site: 300-acres site.
Workforce: 10,000 - doubled in 5 years
Products: Home to the iconic Defender, Solihull is on three-shift, 24 hour production to meet the global demand for Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Discovery and Jaguar XE.
Production has almost trebled in five years.
Investment: £1.5bn invested in the Solihull plant in the last 5 years including:

£370mn to extend our expertise in light weight vehicle manufacturing with Range Rover & Range Rover Sport.
£500mn on Europe’s largest Aluminium Body Shop and state-of-the-art Final Assembly Hall to support the production of the Jaguar XE & F-PACE.
£21mn on a brand new, 31 acre, despatch facility to meet global demand for our vehicles

Castle Bromwich
The Site: 112-acres site.
Workforce: 3,700
Products: An all-aluminium line-up including the Jaguar F-TYPE, XJ and all-new XF.
Investment: £400mn invested in the Castle Bromwich plant in support of new XF - the largest single investment in the history of the Castle Bromwich plant includes:

£320mm state-of-the art aluminum body shop - the most flexible and versatile of its kind throughout Jaguar Land Rover, capable of switching between Jaguar's entire range of models mid-production
£16m on a new blanker line
£50mn on a new Aida press line.
£30m on significant upgrades in the trim and final assembly hall.

Halewood
The Site: 300-acres site.
Workforce: 4,200 (trebled in five years)
Products: The fastest selling Jaguar Land Rover product of all time – the Range Rover Evoque and new Discovery Sport.
Investment: £500mn invested in the Halewood plant since 2010 including:

£250mn to support the introduction of the Range Rover Evoque
£200mn in major upgrades across the plant to support Discovery Sport introduction
£45mn on a new Aida press line.