Dave Smart Lake Iseo to Turin I managed to book a hostel in Turin on the intermittent WiFi connection in the campsite and decided to head for Lake Maggiore which is where I stayed for a short while whilst working in Italy a good few years ago. The reason for my return to there was [...]

Jonathan Walker, Birmingham Post, 25th September, 2009 Lord Mandelson, the Business Secretary, has warned that carmakers need to make cuts in order to remain competitive, as he defended Jaguar Land Rover’s announcement that it is to close a West Midlands factory. Lord Mandelson said he would not “speculate” on the effect this could have on jobs [...]

Clive Goldthorp MG Motor UK Limited has just launched a new limited edition of the TF model to celebrate the famous MG marque’s 85th Anniversary this year. The MG TF 85th Anniversary’s key features include:- • Unique new interior including leather seats • 3 distinctive colours • New external design – alloy wheels and unique [...]

Jon Griffin, Birmingham Post, 24th September, 2009 Business Secretary Lord Mandelson has praised Tata’s commitment to its workforce in the wake of the closure bombshell – as unions warned they would fight the shock move. Bert Hill, Regional Officer of the GMB union, said: “We are now in a meeting with the company to hear [...]

Jon Griffin, Birmingham Post, 24th September, 2009 Thousands more car jobs looked doomed today with the announcement that Jaguar Land Rover is to close either its Castle Bromwich or Solihull factory. Unions were left shell-shocked as JLR confirmed that one of its two flagship factories would shut by the middle of the next decade. Meanwhile, a [...]

Dave Smart Messing around on the Stelvio I left the campsite about 10 and headed for Livigno for some cheap fuel ( about 85c/l) and then headed for the west (more gentle) side of Stelvio pass. At the bottom I fixed my hard disk camcorder to my home made seat mount to record the shenanagins [...]

Jaguar Land Rover today confirmed a new business plan designed to increase its global competitiveness significantly, drive growth and sustained profitability, and respond to the challenges of climate change. The plan includes decisive actions to see through the next 12-18 months as markets recover and positions the company to grow and prosper in the future. [...]

John Cranage, Birmingham Post, 24th September, 2009 Speculation that Jaguar Land Rover’s Castle Bromwich assembly plant in Birmingham faces the axe under a fresh wave of cost cuts was played down by the company last night. The Indian-owned luxury carmaker is believed to be drawing up drastic plans to cut losses in the wake of [...]

Land Rover has confirmed today that a production version of its exciting LRX concept car will be built.  The new car will debut next year and join the Range Rover line-up in 2011. Designed and engineered at Land Rover’s state of the art Gaydon facility, the new Range Rover will be the smallest, lightest and [...]

Dave Smart Lake Iseo During the night I heard waves on the lake lapping against the wall and thought I ought to get up and retrieve the beer so it didn’t get washed away, but I thought better of it and went back to sleep. I had a real long lie in and when I [...]

Graeme Brown, Birmingham Post, 23rd September, 2009 Land Rover is hoping for a sales boost after launching the Freelander 2 into the emerging Indian market. Jaguar Land Rover’s Indian owner, Tata Motors, has taken the popular model in its home country after a positive response to the Discovery 4, Range Rover and Range Rover Sport, [...]

Birmingham Post, 20th September, 2009 Hundreds of jobs are set to be created at the Midlands-based engineering and design unit owned by Tata Motors after the Indian firm was given a loan to start making electric cars in the UK. The Government lent £10 million to Jaguar Land Rover owners Tata to develop a new [...]

Tom Scotney, Birmingham Post, 18th September, 2009 The Government has made a £10 million loan to Jaguar Land Rover owners Tata Motors to manufacture electric cars in the UK. The loan was given to the Tata Motors European Technical Centre plc (TMETC), based at the University of Warwick, in Coventry, and is backed by £25m of [...]

Jon Griffin, Birmingham Post, 18th September, 2009 Birmingham van-maker LDV is facing D-Day in its nine-month battle for survival – amid claims that more than 800 West Midland jobs may be sacrificed to China in an MG Rover-style “lift and shift” operation. Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC Group), backed by broker Dr. Qu Li of [...]

David Bailey and John Clancy, Birmingham Post, 17th September, 2009 We know from last week’s hard-hitting Department of Business report that the Phoenix fat cats gave themselves “unreasonably large” payouts. To be precise, the pay and pensions of five Directors added up to some £42m despite them having taken ‘relatively unsubstantial’ risks. The defence of [...]

Jon Griffin, Birmingham Post, 17th September, 2009 Malaysian group Weststar are still in the frame for Birmingham van-maker LDV – and a takeover deal could be sealed within a week. The Malaysian group issued a statement through its Birmingham-based solicitors to end days of speculation that it had walked away from talks with the van [...]

Jon Griffin, Birmingham Post, 16th September, 2009 The Phoenix Four have hit back at the “salacious tittle-tattle” exposed by the MG Rover inquiry after Chinese businesswoman Qu Li emerged as a potential buyer for LDV. Dr. Qu Li The ex-Longbridge bosses issued a new statement attacking the “lack of business understanding” in the report following [...]

Alun Thorne, Birmingham Post, 16th September, 2009 A Midland firm has been stealing the limelight at the Frankfurt Motor Show with a new two-seater. MINI took the wraps off its stunning Roadster Concept to gasps on the opening day of the prestigious event. Everyone knew the MINI Coupe Concept was to be revealed at Frankfurt [...]

Jon Griffin, Birmingham Post, 15th September, 2009 The Chinese ex-lover of shamed Phoenix Four Director Nick Stephenson has emerged as a potential takeover bidder for stricken Birmingham van manufacturer LDV. However, the takeover could mean the death-knell for van-making in Birmingham, with a “lift and shift” operation to China on the cards if Dr Qu Li [...]

Jon Griffin, Birmingham Post, 15th September, 2009 The Phoenix Four have accused Birmingham MP John Hemming of “sour grapes” and “hot air” following threats to sue the former Rover bosses to recover millions of pounds for former workers. The Liberal Democrat MP for Yardley has held talks with Birmingham City Council leader Mike Whitby over [...]