The first Jaguar F-Type customer cars have left
JaguarLandRover’s Castle Bromwich manufacturing facility today.
The
all new sports car has resulted in contracts worth £2.8 billion being placed
with companies internationally, with in excess of £1.5 billion placed with
companies in the UK.
Contracts
have been awarded to more than 270 companies globally following the completion
of a global competitive tendering exercise on component sourcing for the
vehicle. Of these, 116 are based in the UK and 50 per cent are from the
Midlands.
JaguarLandRover
(JLR) claims it has created almost 9,000 new jobs in the UK over the last two
years, including 2,000 new engineers and 350 to directly support the new F-Type.
The contracts awarded to support the F-Type are expected to create thousands
more new skilled jobs across the UK’s automotive supply chain.
Ian
Harnett, JLR’s purchasing director said, “As one of the leading investors in automotive research and development in the UK, JLR generates several billion pounds of economic activity here
every year. As today’s announcement demonstrates we are working with world-class suppliers to strengthen
the UK automotive supply
base and support our ambitious plans for growth in the future.”
Destined
for customers around the world, the new F-Type vehicles were loaded onto a
train at the company’s onsite rail facility at Castle Bromwich earlier today.
With sales in over 170 countries, JLR generates export revenues approaching £11
billion each year, making it one of the UK’s largest exporters by value.
The
company anticipates that 75% of F-Type vehicles produced will be exported. The
USA is expected to be the largest market with almost half of all sales, closely
followed by the UK and Germany.
Adrian
Hallmark, Jaguar’s global brand director said, “Since we unveiled the car last year, the level of customer interest in F-Type has been unprecedented. It is a proud
moment to see the first customer cars leave our Castle Bromwich facility
today.”
The
F-Type has been designed, engineered and manufactured in the West Midlands,
UK.
Last
month, some 450 potential customers were given an insight into the F-Type and a
behind-the-scenes tour of the Castle Bromwich factory. JLR has invested
significantly in its Castle Bromwich manufacturing facility to create the
fastest and most advanced Jaguar sports car production line for the F-Type.
F-Type
production has been incorporated into the manufacturing operation at Castle
Bromwich to maximise capacity, technology and skills at the plant. JLR has
utilised and enhanced the manufacturing techniques and technologies employed
for the Jaguar XK production, while introducing new equipment and processes
specifically required for the F-Type.
The
all-aluminium construction of the F-Type is carried out in Castle Bromwich’s
14,000 square metre body shop which employs manufacturing techniques adapted
from the aerospace industry.
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