The UK automotive industry is set to break its all time production record of 1.92 million cars (set in 1970!!) in 2015. These figures are from the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders.
This success is hard won and it has been a long upward climb to return to the heights of the 1970’s. It is hard to believe that UK auto manufacturing then represented approximately a 10% world share. Now it is just over 2%.
A heck of a lot of ground was lost following the 1973 oil crisis and the gradual decline of British Leyland.
Success now depends on innovative Product Design. Take a look at Jaguar Land Rover’s Evoque (see above) which has sold over 100,000 units in it’s first year and has led to 24/7 manufacture at the Halewood plant.
Another great example is BMW’s mini which is turned out at it’s expanded Oxford plant.
Manufacturing in the UK Automotive industry has been revolutionized since the sad days of the 1970’s, much of this led by Nissan in the North East with the adoption of Japanese manufacturing techniques such as LEAN & JIT.
If we can capitalize on current success the UK Automotive industry has a terrific future.
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A new sales record of over 314k cars and profits of 1.5 billion GBP illustrate the success of British car maker Jaguar Land Rover and it’s innovative new products including the Range Rover Evoque which is selling like “hot cakes” at the moment particularly in China. In fact Jaguar Land Rover is opening a new dealership in China every week. China sales now represent almost 20% of the companies sales.
policy of Quantitative Easing. In March 2009 75 billion pounds was created electronically followed by another 200 billion pounds later that year. Further episodes of Q.E pumped a total of 325 billion pounds into the U.K economy, devaluing the pound & increasing exports.
Recently released results from Nissan the Japanese automotive manufacturer illustrate how good product design leads to improved financial returns.
General Electric
I knew exactly how Reverend Harold Camping felt on Saturday when his end of the world prediction (known as “The Rapture”) failed to transpire.
Whatever the rights or wrongs of the killing of Osama Bin Laden the message delivered surrounding his dispatch was certainly confusing to say the least.
On a recent business trip to Geneva I flew from Leeds Bradford Airport in the North of England. I checked through on time and headed for the gate to be met by a scene of organised chaos. The queue was very long and heaving with Schoolkids on exchange visits, holidaymakers and business people. At the very end of this long queue we were given a tray into which we had to load our laptops, keys, belts etc as part of the security screening process. This was undoubtedly the bottleneck and by the time I got through security to the Gate I was informed by an attendant that I may well have missed the flight. I was then subjected to admonishment, had I not heard the attendants calling people through for the Geneva flight – “No” , I hadn’t heard anything in melee – anyway to cut a long story short I caught my flight but not without a lot of hassle and stress.
Operating as an Interim 