Jaguar Land Rover plans to become Britain’s biggest car manufacturer, more than doubling production by 2014, writes Karl West.
The Midlands car giant, owned by Tata Group of India, plans to ramp up production to about 650,000 vehicles a year by 2014, overtaking the 420,000 built last year by Nissan UK.
The ambitious target has been set as JLR’s exports have rocketed — they are likely to hit £8 billion in the current financial year.
The group wants to cash in on the surge in popularity of its top-of-the-range cars in the fast-growing markets of China and India.
The carmaker is also to start assembling Land Rovers in India this year and is seeking a Chinese partner to begin manufacturing in the People’s Republic.
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Chinese demand for its models has soared. It sold 26,000 vehicles there in 2010 — about 23,500 Land Rovers and 2,600 Jaguars — a 95% increase on the previous year.
The bullish outlook marks a turnround in fortunes for the luxury car maker, which in 2009 asked the government for an emergency loan to help it through the economic slump.