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Ford Motor Co.

Jaguar Announces New Small Car Production at Halewood Factory

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Jaguar's new small car, code named X400, will be built at the Halewood factory in Merseyside, a significant boost for the UK's automotive industry. The decision follows a competitive bid between Ford factories globally, with the UK government's offer of £50m in aid proving decisive. The new car, set to rival the BMW 3-series, Audi A4, and Mercedes C-class, is expected to produce 100,000 units annually, cementing its position as Jaguar's best-selling model.

Key Takeaways:

  • Jaguar's new small car, X400, will be produced at the Halewood factory in Merseyside, securing most of the 4,100 jobs currently employed at the facility.
  • The UK government provided £50m in aid to support the project, a crucial factor in Jaguar's decision to build the car in the UK.
  • The car will compete directly with the BMW 3-series, Audi A4, and Mercedes C-class models, targeting the European market.
  • The X400 will be powered by Ford-sourced V6 engines and feature other mechanicals sourced from Ford, with a goal of saving costs.
  • The car will follow the X200, a medium-sized car produced at the Castle Bromwich factory in Birmingham, which received £80m in government aid.
  • Ford's acquisition of Jaguar in 1989 has been credited with achieving a significant turnaround in the company's fortunes, with production expected to more than quadruple by 2002.
  • Sales of the X400 are set to begin in 2002, with production levels expected to reach 100,000 units annually.

Statistics:

  • 4,100 people employed at the Halewood factory, making Escort cars and transmissions for Ford as well as body panels for the Jaguar XJ8 and XK8 models.
  • £100m in total government aid provided to support the construction of Jaguar's X400 and X200 models.
  • 100,000 units per year production target for the X400 model.
  • 2002: Scheduled launch year for the X400 and X200 models.
  • £80m: Amount of government aid received for the X200 project.
  • 2002: Expected year in which Jaguar production will more than quadruple.

Sources:

  • "Jaguar to Build New Car at Halewood in '98" by Gavin Green, untimed and undated, exact format unknown (Although it is clear the article comes from a professional news source, the exact original source, date, and time are unknown).
  • "[Detroit motor show] Announcement Due Tuesday" by the BBC News Europe team (Exact original source and date unknown)

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