ALL of Jaguar Land Rover’s sports and saloon car manufacturing will return to the firm’s Castle Bromwich plant as part of a £100m investment.
The move will see the production of the Jaguar XE sports saloon gradually transfer from its current home at Lode Lane in Solihull.
It will see investment in new press lines, body shops and final assembly halls to support production while the Solihull plant will continue to operate three shifts, 24-hours-a-day producing the Jaguar F-Pace and Range Rover Sport.
The arrival of the XE at Castle Bromwich continues the renaissance of the plant, which was earmarked for closure as recently as 2008.
It is also likely to result in hundreds of new jobs when up and running, but JLR has been able to confirm numbers or timings.
The £100m investment to welcome the latest model takes the total invested in the site to more than £500m over the last two years, supporting continuous improvement in the production of XF, F-TYPE and XJ, also built at the plant.
The continued investment in the firm will also have far-reaching benefits for not only workers across the region, but also the supply chain of parts.
Nicolas Guibert, Castle Bromwich Operations Director, said: “2016 is a pivotal year for Castle Bromwich. The arrival of the XE sees us increase our model lines and volume.
“This plant has a rich heritage and is undergoing its most significant transformation in decades, with major infrastructure projects either complete or under way.
“The commissioning of our all-new press line and launch of our body shop to support the introduction of XE means Castle Bromwich is future-proof.”
