JLR is UK’s largest automaker – again

JaguarLandRover (JLR) has once again been named the largest automotive manufacturer in Britain, accounting for more than 30 per cent of all domestic car production last year.

The news follows today’s announcement from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) that UK car manufacturers set a new record in 2016, producing 1,727,471 vehicles.

JLR’s three vehicle manufacturing plants in Liverpool and the West Midlands increased the company’s UK production output 8% over the previous year to 544,401. Jaguar Land Rover vehicles account for five of the top ten British best-sellers globally.

The latest figures further demonstrate the dramatic transformation undergone by Jaguar Land Rover, which has increased production from its British plants by more than 240% since 2009, when total annual production stood at 158,000 units.

Andy Goss, JLR’s global sales director, said: “Jaguar Land Rover has once again shown that investment in new models, skills and advanced technology are critically important to ensure Britain has a thriving automotive industry - even in the face of current uncertainty.

“To be the UK’s largest automotive business once again is a tremendous achievement. We are proud to call ourselves a British company and are committed to ensuring manufacturing remains the backbone of the British economy.”

The company’s record year was driven by its unrelenting investment plan, with 15 all-new and significantly enhanced models hitting the market.  The Jaguar F-PACE - the brand’s highest-volume model - propelled Jaguar production forward by 67 per cent, while the Range Rover Evoque, regained the position of Land Rover’s highest-volume car following the introduction of the Convertible.

Since 2010 Jaguar Land Rover has invested close to £4 billion in its four British manufacturing plants, which together produce ten model lines and the company’s advanced Ingenium diesel engines. This investment includes the installation of Europe’s largest aluminium body shop, two new state-of-the-art press lines and significant technology upgrades across all assembly lines.

To support this considerable expansion, the company’s manufacturing headcount has grown from 7,700 in 2010 to more than 19,000 today, demonstrating its commitment to job creation.

With more than £3 billion committed to product creation this fiscal year, JLR claims has no plans to slow down, creating yet more exciting products to delight customers around the world.

COMMENT. Despite being so anxious to proclaim its good deeds last year in terms of vehicle sales, the company becomes extremely tight-lipped when it is a matter revealing how many vehicles it sold in 2016 fitted with a V6 diesel engine.

When quizzed, a JLR spokesperson said: “Thanks for the enquiry. I've looked into this, but we don't publish sales figures split down to this level of detail.”

On the other hand, the same person was happy to enthuse all day long about the virtues of the JLR Ingenium four-cylinder engine and its associated Wolverhampton manufacturing plant. Of course, the V6 engine is made by Ford Motor Company at its Dagenham Engine Plant. Could that be the reason?

Curiously, a Ford Motor Company spokesperson is equally tight-lipped when asked: “How many V6 diesel engines were produced at Dagenham in 2016?”

The curt reply came back: “I’m afraid we don’t disclose that level of detailed information.”

How strange that such a simple question throws up a concerted wall of silence. What can it be about this particular V6 diesel engine that is so special that no one wants to talk about it? Curious, don’t you think?