Jaguar Land Rover to launch the new petrol Ingenium range of engines from this summer.

• Jaguar Land Rover’s £1bn UK Engine Manufacturing Centre (EMC) produces first Ingenium petrol engines
• New petrol engines will debut in Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles in the summer
• Production of the Ingenium petrol marks the completion of first phase of the EMC
• EMC fulfils its commitment to create 1,400 new skilled jobs 

Jaguar Land Rover’s £1bn Engine Manufacturing Centre (EMC) today celebrated production of its first Ingenium petrol engine, which will debut in vehicles later in the summer. The inaugural petrol engines mark the completion of the first phase of the EMC; a fully flexible, state-of-the-art manufacturing plant that now serves Jaguar Land Rover’s three UK vehicle plants.

Hailed as the most significant new automotive manufacturing facility in the UK in the last decade. Production of the 2.0-litre, four-cylinder petrol Ingenium engine, adds to its line-up, which also includes the ultra-low emission 2.0-litre 150PS, 163PS and 240PS four-cylinder diesel engines. 

The milestone follows an announcement last week that the EMC would manufacture the high-performance 2.0-litre 300PS Ingenium petrol engine – the most powerful four-cylinder engine Jaguar Land Rover has ever produced – for the 18MY Jaguar F-TYPE. 

Trevor Leeks, EMC Operations Director, said: “The start of petrol production marks an important milestone for the plant as we move to providing a suite of ultra-low emission, high-performance petrol and diesel engines to power the full Jaguar and Land Rover vehicle line-up now and in the future.

“Importantly, it also showcases the incredible impact Jaguar Land Rover has had on the local economy with the creation of the 1,400 skilled jobs promised when we opened the plant in 2013. In fact we will be welcoming our 1,400th employee at the end of this month.”

The start of petrol engine production reaffirms Jaguar Land Rover’s strategic investment programme to build skills and capability in the UK. Of the 1,400 people recruited at the plant, more than 80 per cent live within 10 -miles of the Wolverhampton plant, bringing opportunity and prosperity to the region. More than 125,000 hours of training has been undertaken to create a world-class workforce, which includes a former bus driver, a nurse, a beauty therapist and a locksmith. 

Georgia Rigby, an Integrated Manufacturing Specialist in the petrol assembly hall, joined the EMC in February 2016 from the catering industry. She said: “The EMC has quickly grown to be an incredibly important part of this region, celebrated for the jobs created and the quality of the training and career opportunities on offer.

“I was keen to join Jaguar Land Rover after hearing really positive things from my friends who work here. I have been here for just over a year now and it’s been fantastic.”

The EMC has also welcomed more than 50 apprentices and graduates, all on a bespoke powertrain development programme designed to support the design, engineering and production of Jaguar Land Rover advanced engine range. 

Amy Stephenson, a third-year Advanced Apprentice at the EMC, said: “I’ve always been interested in engineering and going to Wednesfield High, which is partnered with the EMC, meant we were encouraged to explore engineering career opportunities. In advance of joining the apprenticeship programme, I had visited the EMC and found it a really inspiring environment. It’s a brand new facility with new people and I’m really proud to be a part it.” 

Since production of the Ingenium diesel engine began exactly two years ago, the EMC has built in excess of 400,000 engines. It has welcomed more than 40,000 visitors including three members of the Royal family, 20 Government officials, including prime ministers, British cabinet ministers and local MPs and more than 3,000 children through its Education Business Partnership Centre. More than 85,000 cups of tea and coffee have been consumed and 14,000 slices of the famous EMC flapjacks have been eaten. Trevor Leeks has taken 3.6 million steps in his role as Operations Director; the equivalent of travelling to the moon and back seven times, and employees have given more than 1,000 hours of volunteering to local good causes. 

In a very short time the EMC has made its mark as the beating heart of Jaguar Land Rover’s UK manufacturing operations.

50 years have past & the Velar name has made a return on the All-New Range Rover.

• Land Rover launches new visitor attraction at its Solihull home
• Tour takes visitors on a journey from the 1967 Velar prototype to the new Velar
• Interactive exhibit showcases British design and engineering story behind the world’s greatest luxury SUV.

Land Rover has opened a new visitor attraction at its thriving Solihull manufacturing plant. ‘The Range Rover Story’ is an interactive exhibit created to celebrate 50 years of the world’s most revered luxury SUV. 

Range Rover has been manufactured at Solihull since 1970, but its history with the site goes back to 1967 when the first secret prototype was conceived, codenamed Velar. 

The new exhibit will take visitors on a time-travelling voyage from its inception in the mid 1960s, through to the introduction of the Range Rover Sport and Range Rover Evoque. The exhibition culminates in an exciting unveil of the new Range Rover Velar, celebrating British design and engineering integrity. 

Roger Crathorne (known as Mr Land Rover) dedicated 50 years’ service to Land Rover and has been heavily involved in the creation of the exhibition. 

He said: “The exhibit tells the incredible story of the Range Rover, from the original Velar prototype through to today’s new model. At the time I began my career in 1967 as a Technical Assistant on the Velar Team, the intention was never to build a luxury vehicle. 

Over the 50 years since, the Range Rover has come a long way. We wanted to develop a more comfortable on-road Land Rover that would combine the comfort of the Rover with the Land Rover 4x4 capability to support a growing leisure market.” 

Nigel Blenkinsop, Operations Director at Solihull, said: “We are hugely proud to build the Range Rover Velar at Solihull, the birthplace of both the Land Rover and Range Rover. Here, we have invested over £2bn in recent years to enable us to triple production. Our business is now Britain’s number one car manufacturer.” 

The opening of the Range Rover exhibition coincides with the opening of Velar manufacturing tours at Solihull. Velar is the third new model in a year to be launched at the plant, following the Jaguar F-PACE and new Discovery. 

Velar is produced in one of the largest aluminium body shops in the world and is beautifully finished in a versatile trim hall; capable of producing three different SUVs – all built to customers’ unique specifications. 

The Solihull plant has contributed to the company doubling its sales and headcount in the past five years. This has supported the UK’s revival in manufacturing, boosting the British economy where the automotive company provides 240,000 jobs in the supply chain. The Range Rover family contributes £10bn annually to the UK economy and is Britain’s largest luxury export

The Range Rover range contributes £10bn to the UK Economy and is UK PLC's biggest single export.

• Range Rover family grows with the addition of the new Velar
• Velar is to be built exclusively in Britain
• Range Rover contributes £10bn annually to the UK economy
• Range Rover is Britain’s largest luxury export, accounting for 85% of all luxury cars built in the UK

Jaguar Land Rover’s renaissance continued today with the launch of the Velar, the fourth member of the 47-year old Range Rover family. In a further show of support for the British car industry, the company confirmed the Velar will be built exclusively at its flagship Solihull plant in the West Midlands.

Since going on sale in 1970 the Range Rover family, heralded Britain’s greatest luxury export, has grown to include the Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Range Rover Evoque. Together they have helped transform the fortunes of the UK’s largest vehicle manufacturer, accounting for 85 per cent of all premium cars produced in Britain and contributing £10bn to the UK economy every year.

Dr Ralf Speth, Jaguar Land Rover CEO, said: “The expansion of our product range and building this British designed and engineered car in the UK is a sign of our confidence in British manufacturing. We are leading the global premium car industry with our commitment to our home market and our heart, soul and headquarters will always be in the UK.”

Built using Jaguar Land Rover’s leading lightweight aluminium architecture and powered by the latest ultra-clean UK-built Ingenium petrol and diesel engines, the new Velar is positioned between the Range Rover Evoque and the Range Rover Sport.

The Range Rover Velar is the third model to be launched at the Solihull manufacturing plant in just two years. It follows an injection of £1.5bn in new facilities and technologies at the plant which began with the Jaguar XE and F-PACE - proving that flexible high-tech manufacturing brings more models to the market, attracts more customers and creates more high-skilled jobs for the United Kingdom.

Production of all Jaguar Land Rover models at the four UK manufacturing plants directly supports more than 40,000 British jobs and a further 250,000 in the supply chain. In the past six years the company has more than doubled its workforce to support global demand for its products. Last year Jaguar Land Rover sold 583,313 cars – more than one every minute, 44 per cent of which were Range Rovers.

The Range Rover Velar will be sold in more than 100 markets globally and is available to order from summer 2017. The online configurator is open later today. The Velar will be on display at the Design Museum in London until 6 March for customers who are eager to see it in the flesh.

SCOTTISH COTY - Jaguar takes two awards at this years ceremony with the F-Pace and XF both winners.

• The F-PACE, Jaguar’s fastest-ever selling car, named ‘SUV of the Year’ at Scottish Car of the Year Awards
• The Jaguar XF completes the double beating rivals to be crowned ‘Luxury Car of the Year’
• 2016 awards mark a decade of success for Jaguar, with the brand collecting 15 Scottish Car of the Year awards since 2006
• Jaguar sales in Scotland are up 41% on the same period in 2015, supporting a record-breaking year for the brand in the UK

Jaguar has picked up two Scottish Car of the Year Awards, with the F-PACE named ‘SUV of the Year’ and the XF crowned ‘Luxury Car of the Year’. The accolades mark a decade of success for Jaguar at the annual awards, with the brand collecting 15 wins since 2006, and every new Jaguar winning an award since 1999.

These awards are the latest in a line of major UK industry honours for the XF and F-PACE, with the British-built saloon having won seven accolades since its launch just over a year ago, and the F-PACE named Auto Express ‘Car of the Year’ and ‘Best Premium SUV’ by Telegraph Cars since its April introduction.

Commenting on the success, Jeremy Hicks, Jaguar Land Rover UK Managing Director said:

“The past ten years have been a momentous success for the Jaguar business, as our stylish and luxurious model line-up continues to compete with, and surpass, the industry’s biggest players. Our Scottish retailers have been vital to this, with Jaguar sales in Scotland up 41% on the same period in 2015. It’s a real honour when your cars are recognised independently by motoring experts, and to have them recognised so consistently by the Scottish Car of the Year Awards is incredible.”

“With the All-New XF, we’ve built on a winning formula to really disrupt one of the market’s most competitive segments, offering style, low running costs and luxury across the range. The F-PACE marks Jaguar’s first foray into the SUV market, and so far it’s been a great success. With its combination of sports car looks and versatile package, it’s a vehicle that appeals to the heart and the head.”

Jaguar’s successful decade at the Scottish Car of the Year awards began in 2006, with the Jaguar XK collecting both the ‘Sporting Car of the Year’ and ‘Overall Car of the Year’ awards. Recent highlights include the Jaguar E-Type being named as the ‘Most iconic car of the last 50 years’ in 2011, and the XE taking home the ‘Executive Car of the Year’ award at last year’s ceremony.

Stephen Park, President of the Association of Scottish Motoring Writers, said: “Once again, Jaguar is a worthy winner at the Scottish Car of the Year Awards; the F-PACE is not only a stunner but it’s also a hugely practical car with handling and steering that are hard to fault. The XF, meanwhile, stands at the top of its class thanks to sharp styling, a superb chassis and broad range of frugal or performance engines.”

The Jaguar XF, priced from £32,300 on-the road, and F-PACE, priced from £35,020, are available to order now at Jaguar UK retailers.

Go behind the scenes at the Land Rover Classic workshop at Solihull with the new Land Rover ‘Reborn’ Tour

• Go behind the scenes at the Land Rover Classic workshop at Solihull with the new Land Rover ‘Reborn’ Tour
• Jump in the driver’s seat of a Defender at the Land Rover Experience centre
• Three-hour experience brings visitors closer than ever to the icons from Land Rover’s rich heritage
• A Reborn Tour costs from £29pp, and from £150pp when combined with the Driving Experience
• Book today at this link >> HERE

Land Rover Classic has opened its doors to the new Reborn Tour giving visitors the chance to experience the restoration of an early Land Rover live at the brand’s bespoke workshop and facility at Solihull – the ‘Home of the Legend’.

The Reborn Tour and Driving Experience begins with refreshments and welcome from an experienced and knowledgeable Land Rover tour guide. With the scene set, visitors are granted exclusive access to the newly updated Jaguar Land Rover Classic workshop at Solihull where the exquisite Series I Reborn fully restored project continues under the expert team from Jaguar Land Rover Classic.

Visitors also gain access into the newly upgraded facility to admire the full capability of the Classic Workshop where skilled technicians carefully restore cherished Land Rovers to their former glory.

Those attending the Reborn Tour will gain a unique and fascinating insight into Jaguar Land Rover’s history at the plant, plus 1940s production techniques and the many fascinating stories of the 1948 Series I to the recent Defender.

Last year over 10,000 visitors saw the final year of Defender production as part of the Defender Celebration Tour and now this stunning exhibit has been relocated alongside the Classic Workshop at Solihull for visitors to see and experience.

Following the workshop tour, guests have the opportunity to experience a piece of history for themselves by getting behind the wheel of a Defender with a trained and experienced instructor. The unforgettable experience will allow you to put the British automotive icon through its paces on the legendary off-road tracks at Land Rover Experience Solihull – Home of the Legend.

The Reborn programme sees Land Rover Classic’s expert team draw on decades-worth of experience to hand-pick Series I chassis from the brand’s global network. Each model undergoes a complete restoration according to original 1948 factory specification and using Land Rover Classic Parts to preserve full authenticity. This includes the choice of five period finishes including Light Green, Bronze Green, RAF Blue, Dove Grey and Poppy Red.

Customers will be able to select their preferred base vehicle with the help and guidance of Land Rover Classic’s experienced restoration team, and they will be able to follow the restoration of their cherished Series I from start to finish at Land Rover’s new Classic workshop located within the original Defender production centre at Solihull. Each classic comes with a 12-month warranty – and a lifetime of history.

Jaguar Land Rover Classic forms part of the business’s Special Operations division. The division’s aim is to nurture the passion for the brand through its owners and the provision of the very best cars, service and maintenance, original parts and unforgettable experiences for owners of classic Jaguars and Land Rovers.

JLR has stated it aims to increase the number of ex-service staff employed across the world to 1000 by 2020.

• UK’s largest vehicle manufacturer aims to deliver a five-fold increase on ex-service recruitment in the next four years.
• Renewed commitment to skills and training opens up new opportunities and careers to military heroes.
• Move supports the company’s ambition to become the employer of choice for service leavers.
• New North American Veterans programme is a significant milestone and signals the expansion of programmes offered by the Jaguar Land Rover Learning Academy.

Jaguar Land Rover has announced that it aims to increase the number of ex-service men and women employed across its global operations to 1000 by 2020 - a five-fold increase on recruitment since 2013. 

This news came as the UK’s largest vehicle manufacturer welcomed the start of the 2016 Invictus Games in Orlando, Florida. 

The company has been Presenting Partner of the Invictus Games since the inaugural event in London in 2014 and has committed to continuing its support for the 2017 Games to be held in Toronto, Canada.

Ian Harnett, Executive Director of Human Resources at Jaguar Land Rover said: “It is fitting that this announcement comes ahead of the Invictus Games, an inspirational event that demonstrates the resilience and dedication of those in the armed forces.  

I am immeasurably proud that through our company, and the Jaguar Land Rover Learning Academy, we have been able to give hundreds of ex-service personnel the opportunity to rebuild their lives and careers.

“As the UK’s largest automotive manufacturer and a growing global business, we have an obligation to advance the skills and capability of the industry, and in doing so, provide opportunities for passionate people to unleash their full potential. 

That is why we are making it our mission to see the number of people recruited into our business from the military increase significantly in the coming years”.

Jaguar Land Rover has a long and proud history of supporting the military and today’s announcement further supports the company’s ambition to become the employer of choice for those leaving the forces.  

Jaguar Land Rover recognises that skilled and talented people, such as those who have served in the forces, will enable it to deliver long-term sustainable growth.

A significant step in realising its targets is the introduction of a new programme to train and recruit up to 180 veterans across the company’s North American retail network. This initiative has been developed with CALIBRE Systems Inc.* and is the first major military programme for the company outside the UK.

At home, Jaguar Land Rover has recruited more than 200 ex-service men and women since it pledged its support to the 2014 Invictus Games. Some of these joined the business following training delivered through the Jaguar Land Rover Learning Academy. Created to provide ‘lifelong learning’ opportunities not only to its employees globally, but to others seeking bright futures in the automotive industry, the Academy delivers bespoke programmes for service leavers.

Since 2015 more than 30 service personnel have participated in the ‘Inspiring Tomorrow’s Workforce’ and ‘Wounded, Injured and Sick’** (WIS) programmes with 75 per cent of these finding roles at Jaguar Land Rover. Many others have gone on to find jobs in our supply chain and wider industry.

One such recruit is Luke Darlington, who participated in the inaugural Invictus Games in 2014. Luke, who served with 42 Commando, Royal Marines, suffered multiple serious injuries whilst on tour in Afghanistan. 

An Improvised Explosive Device (IED) caused a severe shrapnel wound to his brain, leading to weeks in an induced coma and brain surgery to remove an abscess caused by infection. He went through months of strenuous rehabilitation at Headley Court and the Queen Elizabeth II Brain Injury Centre, but his short military service came to an end.

In November 2015 Luke joined the WIS programme, having heard about it during the Invictus Games. 

Luke said:“I was at home and feeling very depressed as I was not achieving anything in my day to day life. The WIS programme allowed me to develop new skills and re-ignite old ones which I had used in the military.  I had not appreciated just how relevant experience in the Royal Marines could be to an automotive company. 

Since completing my training with Jaguar Land Rover my confidence has grown. I feel worthwhile again”.

Luke spent ten weeks on the programme on the Land Rover Defender production line and 4 in other functions across the business. So impressed were the team that, they offered him a permanent position as a Production Leader in Europe’s largest aluminium body shop at the Solihull manufacturing plant. 

Luke said: “The sense of achievement of being offered the job was fantastic, I felt like I belonged again. I had a sense of pride and purpose which was missing from my life, something I thought I was never going to get back once I left the Marines. 

The support I had from Jaguar Land Rover, the Royal Marines Charity, the RBL and Mission Motorsport was fantastic and I would recommend the programme to anybody”.

Jaguar Land Rover’s work, as a signatory to the Armed Forces Covenant, continues to push boundaries and led to the company being presented with a gold award for its active support of the Armed Forces. 

The firm also continues its support of service charities including Mission Motorsport, Help for Heroes, Rally for Heroes, ABF The Soldiers' Charity and individual regimental associations. 

In October, the company sponsored the Walking With the Wounded Walk of Britain to raise awareness and retraining of wounded veterans leaving the Armed Forces. 

Jaguar Land Rover takes teh title as the UK's biggest producer of cars topping half a million for the first time.

• Jaguar Land Rover becomes Britain’s largest automotive manufacturer
• Firm’s three UK manufacturing plants break the 500,000 production milestone in 2015
• Company’s UK production output more than trebles since 2009
• Growth is driven by unprecedented investment in new products and UK manufacturing plants to meet global consumer demand.
• Jaguar Land Rover’s growth sees UK workforce more than double to 35,000 in 5 years

Jaguar Land Rover has become the largest automotive manufacturer in Britain. The news follows today’s announcement from the SMMT that UK car manufacturing has had its best year in a decade producing 1,587,677 vehicles in 2015.  Jaguar Land Rover produced more than 500,000 cars and commercial vehicles at its three vehicle manufacturing plants in Solihull, Birmingham and Liverpool.

Under Tata Ownership, the company has seen a dramatic transformation in its business since 2009 when total annual production stood at 158,000 units. Since that time, Jaguar Land Rover has become the fastest growing UK automotive manufacturer with annual output rising by almost 70% thanks to more than £11bn of R&D investment to create an expanded and enhanced range from the two iconic British marques. In 2015 alone, Jaguar and Land Rover brought 11 new and refreshed cars to market, including the Jaguar XE and XF and the Land Rover Discovery Sport.

The news of Jaguar Land Rover’s achievement can also be attributed to the company’s unwavering commitment to its three British vehicle manufacturing plants which have each welcomed considerable investment to drive up capacity, capability and quality*. In addition, the company has invested £1bn in a state-of-the-art Engine Manufacturing Centre to build the high technology, low emissionIngenium engine. Together these facilities have created more than 10,000 manufacturing jobs in just 5 years, with the overall UK workforce more than doubling to 35,000.

Jaguar Land Rover's Executive Director of Manufacturing, Wolfgang Stadler said “Britain is the beating heart of our business, so becoming the country’s largest vehicle manufacturer is a remarkable achievement, demonstrating our steadfast commitment to the UK manufacturing sector.

“2015 was a challenging year for the industry against a backdrop of socio economic instability, but it is a testament to our strong product range and dedicated team of employees that Jaguar Land Rover has delivered year on year growth, with more exciting products to come.”

Jaguar Land Rover, who was last week named the best place to work in Britain by Bloomberg, delivered record sales in its home market in 2015 with over 100,000 vehicles registered for the first time in its history. This strong performance was also reflected in the US, where Land Rover was named the fastest growing car brand in the country. More than 80% of Jaguar Land Rover’s UK based production is exported to over 160 markets and this year the company will see further new products including the Jaguar F-PACE and Range Rover Evoque Convertible hit its global network of retailers.

It is the increasing global demand for its products that has seen Jaguar Land Rover announce plans to expand its international manufacturing footprint to support sustainable global growth. But with plans to invest a further £3bn in its products and facilities in the 2015/16 fiscal year, such as, the expansion of its Whitley and Gaydon R&D centres, the UK remains at the very heart of Jaguar Land Rover’s business.