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Midland Automotive

433K views 3K replies 122 participants last post by  ianrobo 
#1 ·
Following the Rover, Peugeot events, Prodrive expansion and the recent speculation concerning Ford's Premier Auto Group I think a specific thread is about due.

Last week JCB were talking about aquiring Jaguar and today this has been in The Birmingham Post.

British motoring icon could be sold for £700 million
Sep 1 2006
By John Revill, Business Staff


Aston Martin, an icon of British motoring, could fetch up to £700 million after it was put up for sale by its American owner Ford.

The US company yesterday said it had started the process of exploring strategic options for Aston Martin, with particular emphasis on a potential sale of all or part of the business.

The luxury carmaker has its headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire, where it employs 1,500. It also has 200 employees at its historic home at Newport Pagnell in Buckinghamshire.

The possible sale comes as Ford struggles to reverse the £763 million of losses recorded in the first six months of this year alone while the company is facing its worst financial predicament for more than 20 years.

Industry experts forecast a price of anywhere between £500 million and £700 million.

Ford chairman Bill Ford said: "We have determined that Aston Martin may be an attractive opportunity to raise capital and generate value.

"Aston Martin Lagonda has flourished under Ford ownership, which is why we believe it is prudent to consider a sale of all or part of this prized brand.

"Since Aston Martin's dealer network, product architecture and size are distinctly different from other Ford brands, it is the most logical and capital-smart divestiture choice."

The company is part of the Premier Automotive Group (PAG) of luxury brands which also includes Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo.

There has been speculation that Jaguar could be put up for sale, but Mr Ford said the company was encouraged by its progress.
 
#32 ·
From the Beeb:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_midlands/6466611.stm



Land Rover unveils new Defender

Land Rover's latest model has been officially launched, safeguarding about 750 jobs at the firm's Solihull plant.

The 2007 Defender model, which goes on sale on 16 April, has already attracted 800 pre-orders and will remain in production until 2010.

The Defender brand dates back to 1948 and was largely responsible for establishing the firm's reputation.

It is estimated that 80% of the vehicles ever made are still in use, mainly on farms.

"Farmers, aid-workers and explorers the world over value Defender's versatility, its extraordinary strength, robustness and capability," said John Edwards, Land Rover UK's managing director.

"The unique combination of these attributes helps account for the model's exceptionally high levels of customer loyalty."

Land Rover said it had sold 1,900,000 Defenders worldwide since 1948 and the brand typically sold 25,000 units each year.
 
#33 ·
Dave Richards has said that it is Unlikely he will brand his F1 team Aston Martin. He said that if it were to flop (like Jaguar F1) it would do enourmous damage to the Brand. Therefore, the team will be simply called 'ProDrive'

I must admit, I thought it would be a great idea, but DR is right, it could ruin Aston's image if they were trailing around the back of the grid.

Really good that DR is taking so much care of Aston though!

Oh, and the 4 door Rapide looks set for production, and something called a DB-X is being rumoured. It can't be a replacement for the DB9, because that is still relatively new, and the Vantage is even newer... That must mean that an all new Vanquish is in the pipeline.
 
#37 · (Edited)
Yes and I also post on another specialist forum http://www.minormania.com/smf/index.php?topic=969.0 :naughty:

There's been a bit of a change of plan and the K Series is moving on. I'm switching to a supercharged Toyota 4AGZE engine from an MR2 instead. Around the same power 180/190 bhp but 30% more torque. They use these engines for drifting.

The car's in a specialist workshop very close to the automotive mecca which is Gaydon

I can see what you mean about a smaller market and it doesn't help that they're built so well. A bit like the everlasting lightbulb I suppose
 
#39 ·
I like the old cars too so this deserves a mention. Did you know the worlds quickest street car was built and is driven by a chap from Wolverhampton?

You can keep your Zondas and your Veyrons, this does 0 to 184.5 MPH in 7.8 second. Street legal with MOT, tax and insurance. He competes in Street Eliminator, runs on normal fuel and has to complete at 25mile cruise to even qualify.

http://www.redvictor1racing.co.uk
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blackcountry/content/articles/2006/11/09/redvictor_feature.shtml
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whwsBVVZJBY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QP3vsmKJT0c

 
#42 ·
Something I managed to find on Property Week (I haven't subscribed so I can't get the whole story):

Peugot to sell Midlands plant

Car manufacturer Peugeot has exchanged contracts to sell its manufacturing plant in the Midlands to the Barclay Brothers.
 
#43 ·
From BCC:

Birmingham City Council Leader Mike Whitby has today welcomed the resumption of manufacturing of MG cars at Nanjing Automotive’s plant in Nanjing.

And he has revealed that after discussions this weekend with NAC management and Li Yuanchao, Communist Party Secretary of the Jiangsu Province, that production of cars at Longbridge will re-commence in June.

Mike Whitby said: “This weekend I met with a high-level delegation of Chinese officials and representatives from NAC. They confirmed to me that production will commence in Nanjing on Tuesday (27th) with a projected start date of early June for manufacturing at Longbridge.

“In addition, they confirmed that the success of the Nanjing Automotive Company’s experience in Birmingham will affect whether other industries in the Jiangsu province invest both in the Midlands and the UK as a whole.

“We have been working hard behind the scenes with NAC to help them achieve their aim of bringing car manufacturing back to Longbridge. We will now see that work come to fruition, meaning jobs for people across Birmingham, and amongst the wider region who will supply the new plant.

In a letter to Cllr Whitby, NAC UK Chairman Wang Hong Biao has praised the efforts of the City Council to bring car manufacturing back to Longbridge. He said: “We will never forget the great support and help you have us from the very beginning of our presence here in Longbridge when all the others were sceptical about our determination to bring MG back”.

Wang Hong Biao added:”In order to restore Longbridge to its former glory as the base of a more than 100-year British motor industry, you have supported us, which was risky and unusual.”

In China, NAC will announce on Tuesday that they will develop two manufacturing bases; one in Nanjing and the other in Longbridge, which will be their European HQ and a new centre of excellent for research and development.

Mike Whitby added: “I am confident that following my discussions this weekend we will see cars coming off the production line in Longbridge in June. NAC clearly value the relationship that has developed between NAC and Birmingham City Council and I believe that it will begin to bear fruit.

During the last two years, Birmingham has developed extensive political and economic links with the city of Nanjing. In April 2006, the Leader of Nanjing City visited Birmingham and in September a loan agreement between the Export Import Bank of China (EXIM) and Nanjing Automotive Corporation UK for 35 million USD was agreed for the MG Project. This followed the visit of Mike Whitby to Nanjing where he met with the City’s Mayor and the Chairman of NAC.

In 2007 NAC have undertaken to start production of 13,000 cars based on the Rover 75 (to be known as the MG7). It also plans 7,000 MG TF convertible sports cars. By the end of 2011, Nanjing hopes to assemble 85,000 MG 7 and 25,000 MG TF cars a year.

NAC intends to build the MG 7 in both China and at the former MG Rover factory in Longbridge. After discussions with NAC this weekend it is hoped that preliminary production will begin at Longbridge in late May.
 
#45 ·
Not sure if it is really classed as Midlands, but:

http://www.propertyweek.com/story.asp?sectioncode=297&storycode=3085994&c=1

The British Racing Drivers Club has unveiled its masterplan for the redevelopment and improvement of Silverstone

The plans to raise £30m to secure the future of the circuit and the British Grand Prix at the famous circuit in Northamptonshire.

This first phase of the plan features Porsche GB developing a new Driving Experience Centre at the site.

The masterplan comprises 6m sq ft (557,413 sq m) of development over the next 10 years.


The BRDC, which last year rejected St Modwen’s plans for Silverstone's redevelopment, created a Property Advisory Group in July 2006 to explore ways to raise money from its property assets of the club at the 760 acres (307 ha) ground.

The plans feature the creation of a new grandstand, new pit and paddock.
 
#50 ·
Oh Dear.

Britney Spears, in her day was really stunning. Then Kevin Federlane stuck his... ring on her, she got fat, and shaved her hair off. Even worse, she has resorted to flashing her rusty hinge at photographers for attention




In the last two years, Coventry & Birmingham's purveyor of pant wetting motor cars, Jaguar, has launched the beautiful new XK...



Is about to launch the stunning new XF to replace the S-Type....



But, it has just released images of the facelift for the XJ.


You can see where this is going can't you?






It's HORRIBLE! It looks like some Chav has got a front bumper from Halfords and stuck it on the front!

The new Jaguar XJ: Flashing it's Gash at a nightclub near you!

Motor Authority News
 
#52 ·
^^

Well if that's the case they need to get rid of the 3D Jaguar badge on the front - again! Years ago there were reports that people had been badly injured by those so I'm surprised if they start making them again.

Great post blahblah, very amusing, but I think it looks okay. I like the XJ because it looks modern yet still looks more or less exactly the same as it has done for 30+ years. I'm not a fan of fins and skirts on cars but that looks okay. The 'basic' model probably won't look like that anyway.
 
#53 ·
That badge will only be fitted to cars sold outside Europe and Japan. I think US customers still really like having them on their Jags, and I guess given the size of most things on the roads over there, the leaper is the least of your worries if you get hit by something.:eek:hno:

The high level of technology and research that went into the XJ makes me wish that it just had the styling to go with it. The original XJ, just as with previous Jags, was very different to everything else when it came out, especially in the styling department. Refreshing yet still beautiful.

I think with the XF they recaptured that, and I hope for Jags sake that it finally helps to send sales figures in the right direction.
 
#57 ·
I don't think Jaguar have yet got the styling right. There is little uniqueness going on. The new XK, while lovely, is an Aston Martin with a jaguar badge looks wize. That may be no bad thing in some eyes but it doesn't give jaguar the distinct image it needs. The first XK, by contrast, looked like nothing else and sold well. I believe this one is selling a little slower than hoped for. The XF looks great in concept but won't look nearly so refreshing in the production version, it doesn't even look 'jaguar'. The XJ, great tech bad styling, needs an urgent facelift. I think they should perhaps keep a model that looks like the current XJ though (to retain oldies who like 'em) but sell it under a revived daimler badge.

They should have built the F-type, biggest mistake ever.
 
#58 ·
The XK's designer is Ian Callum, who did the DB9, there are lots of his trademarks in both cars!!

I found this picture of the production version of the XF too. The interor is totally different, but as you can see, they've just changed the bumpers a bit for the production model. Apparantly the Concept's aggresive bonnet vents will see production on the XF-R performance model, which will have a 4.2 Supercharged V8!




Pictures from AUTO EXPRESS

Whilst I agree that it looks nothing like a Jaguar, I think it is exactly what Jaguar need. They are still a struggling part of a struggling parent company, and they need to start turning a profit, or the will go the way of MG Rover.

The XJ & X Type look like Jag's, but they aren't selling.
 
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