Jaguar Land Rover set for further expansion

VEHICLE manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover has given a strong hint on its plans to beef up its new Special Vehicle Operations division by unveiling plans to develop a former air base in Warwickshire.

The expansion of the facility at Fen End, near Kenilworth, could see hundreds of workers relocated from JLR operations in Coventry and Gaydon.

JLR purchased the former aerodrome last year because of its close proximity to its engineering and manufacturing operations.

The company is currently developing the hub of its new special operations division at Prologis Park, Ryton, the former site of the Peugeot car plant.

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, a series of new lightweight Jaguar E-Types and the Range Rover Sport SVR – the most powerful ever production Land Rover.

A team of 150 specialists will be based at Ryton and the company has been carrying out a recruitment exercise to add 100 new highly-skilled engineering and technicians.

JLR is also investing £20m in specialist equipment and a customer commissioning suite. The technical centre will boast Formula 1-inspired flexible workshops and a specialist paint studio.

With an operation on this scale a dedicated workforce was needed and with space rapidly running out at its existing sites, the company desperately needs the capacity Fen End can offer.

The site is also used for the Jaguar Heritage Driving Experience, where Jaguar fans can get behind the wheel of some of the marque’s most famous vehicles including a Jaguar C-Type, a Le Mans winning D-Type and the one-of-a-kind XJ13.

The driving experience is an extension of the SVO division.