The UK Car assembly industry

[bluethrunthru]

I just noticed and advert promoting the Vauxhall Griffin ranges of cars. Classic end of line trick is to throw all the extra's in as standard to keep selling ageing cars which is what we see here. PSA are going soft on Ellesmere Port and I suspect that these end of line Corsa's, Astra's and Insignia's will be replaced by badged engineered PSA models sporting Opel badges with the Vauxhall brand ending soon.

Honda are closing Swindon. NISSAN have cut models from Washington. Toyota are bringing production of some vehicles to the UK but moving some out so there 's no new investment or jobs. MINI and JLR plants face longer spring shut downs ( and the hoped for announcement of more investment in the UK from JLR hasn't happened ) - it is starting to look like to keep up our export volumes and income we are going to need a new golden egg laying goose because the UK is no longer the country of choice to assemble cars.

 

[inchy14]

Surely the car industry can’t continue at its current rate? Too many new cars built and who do they expect to be buying/leasing them?

 

[Corky]

I said this would happen 3 years years ago and got abuse/mocked on here.

Car companies chose the areas for an ample labour force, the country was in the EEC and there far less industrial relations problems than France.

Chickens voting for Nandos.

 

[denislawsbackheel]

Think of the deals we can make building a Chinese kits here like MGs.

 

[Corky]

Think of the deals we can make building a Chinese kits here like MGs.

Could be the next TVRs yes.

 

[Tuearts right boot]

Considering the Uk car industry was probably the largest in the world ( maybe with the exception of America) the UK is now a mere shadow of that and the apart from high end niche market (foreign owned) and specialist/competition cars and vehicles, including F1 and Indy cars, the only mass produced cars are all in foreign ownership. Thank you Micheal Edwards and here's to you fellow comrades. It's a shame really because UK vehicle technicians and designers are still held in high esteem and the ancilliaries they produce are in use in a large amount of world vehicles.

 

[Adidas Barry Silkman]

Brexit ! I thank you.

Still, at least we'll take back control, whilst sat on the dole.

Turkeys voted for Xmas is too right.

 

[dickie davies]

Brexit ! I thank you.

Still, at least we'll take back control, whilst sat on the dole.

Turkeys voted for Xmas is too right.

Nothing to do with Brexit
JLR are switching production to India and Slovakia, for the obvious fact that labour costs are so much less and in the case of Slovakia it's being done with OUR money!!!!

http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-18-6023_en.htm

 

[inbetween]

Considering the Uk car industry was probably the largest in the world ( maybe with the exception of America) the UK is now a mere shadow of that and the apart from high end niche market (foreign owned) and specialist/competition cars and vehicles, including F1 and Indy cars, the only mass produced cars are all in foreign ownership. Thank you Micheal Edwards and here's to you fellow comrades. It's a shame really because UK vehicle technicians and designers are still held in high esteem and the ancilliaries they produce are in use in a large amount of world vehicles.

It is a shadow because it has been replaced by things that are better. People bought UK designed and built cars in the past because they had no choice. Nowadays there is loads of choice and those choices are miles better.

The only saving grace for some is the status symbol. Range Rover's for example are horrendous cars and LR is bottom of every reliability table however people do still buy them for the image. The export market to Asia is the only reason JLR is still going.

The only thing that can save the car industry is mega investment as with Tesla in the US investing in new technology and new manufacturing methods. If not then we will continue to convert into making other peoples cars for them because we just don't have the investment, people or capability to do it ourselves.

Brexit or not it really doesn't matter, it has been dying a slow strangling death for decades.