Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory
| Company type | Manufacturing facility |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive manufacturing |
| Founded | 1936 |
| Headquarters | Birmingham , England |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Alex Henshaw (chief test pilot during WWII) |
| Products | Jaguar vehicles (until May 2024); pressed steel panels for Jaguar models (post-2024) |
Number of employees | 3,200 |
| Parent | Jaguar Land Rover |
52°30′54″N 1°48′18″W / 52.515°N 1.805°W
Castle Bromwich Assembly is a manufacturing facility owned by Jaguar Land Rover, positioned along Chester Road in Castle Vale, Birmingham, England. The plant employs approximately 3,200 staff members. It occupies a site spanning 110-acre (45 ha), featuring a production area of around 60,000 square metres (650,000 sq ft).[1] Historically, this factory was responsible for producing all Jaguar saloon and sports vehicles until May 2024, when the manufacture of complete cars at this location ceased. Following the end of full vehicle assembly, the site was repurposed to fabricate pressed steel panels—specifically body parts rather than entire vehicles—for Jaguar models.[2]
Originally established as the Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory (CBAF), this site was part of the British government's shadow factory initiative aimed at expanding aircraft production capabilities via automotive industry resources in the lead-up to the Second World War. Despite initial difficulties, control eventually transferred to experienced aircraft manufacturers, turning it into one of the largest aircraft producers during wartime.
On Tuesday, 24 June 2025, emergency services deployed 50 firefighters to combat a significant blaze at the facility.[3]
Nuffield Era: 1936–1940
In 1936, the British government formalised its Shadow factory strategy through the Air Ministry to boost aircraft manufacturing capacity nationwide. Led by automotive innovator Herbert Austin, this plan aimed to establish nine new factories and enhance existing automotive plants to swiftly shift towards aircraft production if geopolitical tensions in Europe escalated into war.
That same year, the Air Ministry acquired land opposite Castle Bromwich Aerodrome, which included a former sewage works. The Nuffield Organization, owners of Morris Motors, were commissioned to develop and oversee production of Supermarine Spitfire fighters and subsequently Avro Lancaster bombers. The rationale was that Birmingham’s skilled workforce and automotive manufacturing techniques could be adapted effectively for aircraft construction.
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The CBAF procured state-of-the-art machine tools shortly after commencing construction.[4] Although Morris Motors under Lord Nuffield—a mass vehicle production expert—managed and equipped the factory, government funding financed the project. Initial cost estimates of £2 million doubled to over £4 million by early 1939.[5] The Spitfire’s stressed-skin design demanded precision engineering skills beyond those possessed by local workers initially, necessitating extensive training. Aircraft components were transported across Chester Road to Castle Bromwich Aerodrome; early plans had included constructing an aerial bridge from E block to the airfield. Large hangar-like structures known as 'Erecting Sheds' were built east of the airfield for assembling and preparing aircraft for flight testing; personnel commonly referred to these as 'Flight Sheds'.
Chief test pilot Alex Henshaw MBE led a team responsible for flight-testing completed aircraft. The Air Transport Auxiliary handled distribution of tested planes to various Maintenance Units nationwide for installation of radio equipment and other fittings. To minimise vulnerability to air raids, flight testing was conducted during daylight hours under nearly all weather conditions.
The factory produced every Spitfire variant from Mk II onwards. This model featured an upgraded Rolls-Royce Merlin XII engine delivering 1,150 horsepower (860 kW), an increase of 120 horsepower (89 kW) compared with Mk I, compatible with either de Havilland or Rotol propellers. The first Mk II prototype flew on 24 September 1939.[6]
Despite commencing Spitfire production in June 1940, the factory remained incomplete and faced numerous managerial issues; management disregarded tooling and blueprints supplied by Supermarine in favour of their own designs.[7] Simultaneously, workers frequently threatened industrial action such as strikes or slowdowns until wage demands exceeding average rates were met.[8] By May 1940, no Spitfires had been completed despite commitments to achieve a weekly output of 60 units starting in April.[5]
Key figures like Alex Henshaw attributed early difficulties mainly to inadequate management during initial operations. Workforce shifts changed from twelve-hour rotations due to bombing threats to a three-shift system with eight-hour periods. Henshaw attended CBAF’s diamond jubilee celebration in 1996 hosted by Jaguar Cars Limited at the original factory site and consistently praised the workforce until his passing.
Vickers-Armstrongs: 1940–1945
Following the collapse of Neville Chamberlain's administration, newly appointed Prime Minister Winston Churchill designated press magnate Lord Beaverbrook as the Minister of Aircraft Production. On 17 May, Beaverbrook contacted Nuffield and persuaded him to relinquish control of the Castle Bromwich factory to Beaverbrook’s Ministry.[9] Nuffield was incensed and reported the matter directly to Churchill; however, Beaverbrook responded by commissioning aircraft specialist Sir Richard Fairey to produce a confidential report exposing costly machinery left idle, disorganized assembly processes, and workers neglecting their duties:[10] Template:Blockquote
Beaverbrook, aligning with Air Vice Marshal Hugh Dowding’s strategy prioritizing defensive fighters over offensive bombers, swiftly terminated all bomber contracts at Castle Bromwich, which included the Handley-Page Halifax and Vickers Wellington.[11] He then deployed seasoned management personnel and skilled workers from Supermarine, transferring operational control of the factory to Vickers-Armstrongs, Supermarine’s parent company. Though challenges persisted for some time, full-scale production was attained by June 1940, with 10 Spitfire Mk IIs manufactured;[12] output rose to 23 in July; 37 in August; and reached 56 by September.[13] No. 611 Squadron at RAF Digby became the first unit to receive the Mk II in August 1940, notably late during the Battle of Britain.
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The effectiveness of the shadow factory initiative was proven in September 1940 when bombing raids temporarily halted production at Supermarine’s Southampton plant. Castle Bromwich Airframe Factory (CBAF) emerged as the largest and most efficient facility of its kind throughout World War II. As the primary Spitfire manufacturing site in Britain, it produced up to 320 aircraft monthly and accounted for more than half of the roughly 20,000 Spitfires built during the war. By June 1945, when production ceased at Castle Bromwich, a total of 12,129 Spitfires had been completed—comprising 921 Mk IIs,[14] 4,489 Mk Vs, 5,665 Mk IXs,[15] and 1,054 Mk XVIs[14].
Following an order for 200 units, the first Lancaster produced at CBAF took flight on 22 October 1943 under test pilot Alex Henshaw. Bearing airframe number HK535 and equipped with Merlin 22 engines, it was assigned to No. 463 Squadron Royal Australian Air Force. This aircraft was lost during a night bombing mission over Lille, France, on May 10–11, 1944. Lancaster production peaked in December 1944 with an output of 25 units—a record for Lancaster manufacturing anywhere.
The factory served as a filming location for Jane Brown Changes Her Job (1941),[16] and also featured in scenes from the film Millions Like Us (1943), where employees participated as extras.[17]
Several original wartime elements remain visible today; for example, remnants of green camouflage paint can still be spotted atop older buildings such as F Block—currently used for trim and final assembly of Jaguar XJ vehicles. A detailed examination reveals that all cast-iron rainwater hoppers bear a winged-roundel design cast into them. During the Jubilee celebrations in 1997, Alex Henshaw unveiled a commemorative plaque just inside the former main gates of the factory site. At that moment, ex-Red Arrows founder Ray Hanna performed a flypast in Spitfire MkIX MH434—an aircraft both built at CBAF and test-flown by Henshaw himself. This plane had been specially named by Henshaw at Elmdon Airfield (now Birmingham International Airport) for the occasion. Following the unveiling ceremony, Henshaw and Hanna joined local dignitaries and many former CBAF staff for a celebratory luncheon funded by Jaguar Cars Ltd.
1945–1977
Following World War II, the initial proprietors of the site were Fisher and Ludlow, who had relocated after their inner-city factory was destroyed by bombing. Fisher and Ludlow, later known as Pressed Steel Fisher, operated primarily as a subcontractor producing car body pressings for numerous marques under the (now largely defunct) British Motor Corporation and subsequently British Leyland. The final marque associated with the plant during this period was Jaguar, which assumed full ownership of the facility in 1977, seven years prior to its separation from British Leyland.
Jaguar Cars/Jaguar Land Rover: 1977 to present
After acquisition by Jaguar Cars, the plant became part of Ford following its purchase of Jaguar in 1990. Later, in 2008, ownership transferred to Tata Motors as a component of Jaguar Land Rover.
Shortly after Tata Motors took control, it announced plans to close either the Castle Bromwich Assembly facility or Land Rover’s Lode Lane plant in Solihull. In March 2010, reports indicated Tata might reconsider these closures; however, on 19 April 2010, the company confirmed it would proceed with shutting down one of the factories. By 15 October 2010, an agreement was reached between Jaguar Land Rover management and union representatives to keep all three Jaguar Land Rover production plants operational until at least 2020. This deal involved the Unite the Union, representing most salaried production staff.
In June 2019, employees at Castle Bromwich voted to adopt a four-day working week as part of a £2.5 billion cost-reduction initiative. This move aimed to "attract new models and enhance job security," particularly since production of the XJ was scheduled to cease in July.
Shortly thereafter, on 5 July 2019, Jaguar Land Rover announced plans to produce a new electric version of the XJ saloon at Castle Bromwich, replacing the existing conventional Jaguar XJ (X351) model. This development was projected to secure approximately 2,500 jobs (or 2,700 according to BBC News). Production of this new electric model was expected to commence in autumn 2019 following a £1 billion investment in facility upgrades. According to a mid-2019 BBC report, the plant also manufactured the Jaguar XF, XE, and F-Type models; however, the XJ remained critical for sustaining operations at Castle Bromwich. Without introduction of the electric XJ, the facility’s future would have been uncertain—economist David Bailey from Birmingham Business School noted that the plant would be "effectively dead" without this new model.
During the coronavirus pandemic, Castle Bromwich Assembly temporarily halted operations on several occasions due to health concerns and supply chain disruptions.
In May 2024, production of fully assembled vehicles at Castle Bromwich ended. The factory transitioned exclusively to manufacturing components—specifically pressed steel body panels—for Jaguar vehicles assembled at other locations.
Product history
The Castle Bromwich facility was responsible for body-stamping, body assembly, painting and trimming, as well as the final assembly stages for all Jaguar saloon and sports car models. Up until the conclusion of complete vehicle production at this site in 2024, the following Jaguar models were manufactured here:
References
- ↑ "Jaguar Land Rover, Castle Bromwich - Cundall".
- ↑ Greg Fitzgerald (7 June 2024). "Final Internal Combustion Jaguars Built at Castle Bromwich". RoverParts.com.
- ↑ "Fire crews battle blaze at Jaguar Land Rover factory". The Independent. 24 June 2025. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
- ↑ Price 1982, p. 67.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 McKinstry 2007, p. 145.
- ↑ "Spitfire Mk II". History of War. Retrieved 20 November 2010.
- ↑ McKinstry 2007, p. 152.
- ↑ McKinstry 2007, pp. 152, 153.
- ↑ Price 1982, p. 107.
- ↑ Leo McKinstry (14 November 2007). "How labour unrest almost lost us the Battle of Britain". The Spectator. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
- ↑ "Document-42: Aircraft production during the Battle of Britain".
- ↑ Castle Bromwich Retrieved: 9 February 2008.
- ↑ Price 1982, p. 109.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Air International 1985, p. 187.
- ↑ Delve 2007, p. 79.
- ↑ Croucher, Richard; Houssart, Mark (4 March 2018). "'Send us more arms!' Bringing British women into war production through films in World War Two" (PDF). Labor History. 59 (2): 121–137. doi:10.1080/0023656X.2018.1385883.
- ↑ Young, Graham (31 August 2016). "Birmingham on Film cinema season will see the city sizzle on the big screen". Birmingham Live. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
External links
Template:Birmingham Buildings Template:Jaguar Land Rover Template:Automotive industry in the United Kingdom