JLR opts for former Peugeot site for its new Special Vehicles Operation
VEHICLE manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover is to locate the hub of its new special operations division at Prologis Park, Ryton, the former site of the Peugeot car plant.
It is close to Jaguar’s historic home in Coventry.
JLR had said all along it intended to base the operation in the West Midlands, close to its existing operations and so the Ryton site fits well with the company’s plans.
The Special Vehicle Operations Technical Centre, as the new 225,000 sq ft hub will be called, will be a global centre of excellence specialising in the creation of high-end luxury bespoke commissions and extreme performance vehicles.
These include the exciting Project 7 F-Type, unveiled at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, a series of new lightweight Jaguar E-Types and the full fat Range Rover Sport SVR – the most powerful ever production Land Rover.
With operations set to begin towards the end of the year, a team of 150 Jaguar Land Rover specialists will be based at Ryton. It is recruiting 100 new highly-skilled engineering and technicians, while £20m will be invested in specialist equipment and a customer commissioning suite.
The technical centre will also boast Formula 1-inspired flexible workshops and a specialist paint studio.
The centre is also close to the new Jaguar Heritage workshop at Browns Lane where the new lightweight E-Types are being produced.
John Edwards, SVO managing director, said: “We are excited by the capability and potential that this new facility will give us. We will be creating truly iconic vehicles that reinforce the global reputation of both Jaguar and Land Rover brands as we expand our product portfolio and fulfil our ambitious plans.”
The first vehicle to roll out of the new SVO workshop will be the Project 7, which is the most powerful and fastest production Jaguar to date. This is an exclusive product, with just 250 models being made available worldwide. Each F-Type Project 7 will start life at the company’s plant in Castle Bromwich, before transferring to the SVO technical centre to complete the build by hand.
The new building, a speculative build by Prologis, will be close to UK Mail’s new distribution hub. The logistics company has been forced to relocate from Birmingham to Ryton after its current hub was compulsorily purchased to make way for the new HS2 high speed rail line.
Andrew Griffiths, managing director, Prologis UK, said: “We are delighted that Jaguar Land Rover has chosen to establish its special vehicles operations technical centre at Ryton.
“We are investing in our prime sites to create the best opportunities in the market for our customers, and we are pleased that the speculative building meets Jaguar Land Rover’s requirements.”
Gerald Eve, NRS and JLL acted for Prologis.
