Whitley plant
| File:Jaguar Land Rover logo.svg Jaguar Land Rover logo | |
| Company type | Subsidiary facility |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive design and engineering |
| Founded | 1923 |
| Headquarters | Coventry , United Kingdom |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Jaguar and Land Rover automobiles (design and development) |
| Parent | Jaguar Land Rover |
This article needs additional citations for verification. (January 2011) |
Template:Infobox factory The Whitley facility, based in Whitley, Coventry, United Kingdom, serves as the headquarters and a key engineering hub for Jaguar Land Rover. This site operates as a comprehensive centre for design, research, and development, focusing on the creation and advancement of Jaguar and Land Rover automobiles.
History
Originally constructed during the First World War, the area now hosting the Whitley plant functioned as an aerodrome.
In the early 1920s, ownership of the land and its structures transferred to Sir W.G. Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft Co. Ltd.. Between 1923 and the conclusion of the Second World War, the facility produced various aircraft models such as the Armstrong Whitworth Siskin, Hawker Hart biplanes, and the Armstrong Whitworth Whitley bomber.
Post-World War II, Armstrong Whitworth shifted focus at this location to guided missile projects, including work on the Seaslug surface-to-air missile system. By 1968, after Armstrong Whitworth had been absorbed by Hawker Siddeley, Hawker Siddeley Dynamics ceased operations at this site, resulting in approximately 2,260 job losses.[1] The ongoing missile development efforts related to the Nike-Ajax and Sea Dart systems were relocated to other Hawker Siddeley Dynamics facilities situated in Hatfield, Cheadle Hulme, and Lostock.[1]
In 1969, the 187-acre property was acquired from Hawker Siddeley Dynamics by the Rootes Group, then under ownership of Chrysler Europe, with the intention of consolidating all design and engineering departments onto a single site.[2] Beginning in 1970, Rootes utilised this location for designing its entire range of trucks and cars.[3]
Following Chrysler’s divestment of its European division to PSA Group in 1978, control of the Whitley plant passed to Peugeot-Talbot.[3] By 1985, Peugeot had relocated all design and development functions to Paris. After a brief period under the Hawtal Whiting design group, ownership transferred to the newly privatised Jaguar Cars, who refurbished the facility and established their engineering centre there in 1987.[3]
In 2005, Jaguar Cars consolidated its headquarters with its engineering operations at Whitley after downsizing activities at its former Browns Lane plant.
Environment
The Whitley site is encircled by expanses of greenery, including a nearby lake, woodland, and the River Sowe. Portions of the former playing fields belonging to Whitley Abbey Comprehensive School were purchased by the local council and subsequently sold to Ford, which was Jaguar's parent company at that time.
Plans for a significant enlargement of the Whitley complex, along with the development of a new industrial estate within the surrounding greenbelt areas and woodland, have sparked debate within the community. This proposed growth would occupy close to 740 acres of protected greenbelt land. The project is spearheaded by Roxhill Developers, a company ultimately owned by an offshore company registered in the Cayman Islands.
See also
References
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- 1923 establishments in England
- Armstrong Whitworth
- Automotive industry in the United Kingdom
- Buildings and structures in Coventry
- Engineering research institutes
- Jaguar Land Rover
- Motor vehicle assembly plants in the United Kingdom
- Research institutes in the West Midlands (county)