Land Rover Monthly April 2020

WELL, what an honour to have been invited to be Guest Editor of LRM for a month! It’s been great fun and I now have a much more intensive appreciation and understanding of all the hard work and dedication the team puts in every month to bring to you the world’s best Land Rover magazine! To be honest, when our esteemed Ed first asked me if I’d be up for it I didn’t think he was being serious, so I asked him ‘Why me?’. The answer was that he wanted this issue to celebrate the launch of the original Range Rover 50 years ago and, as the mag’s resident classic Range Rover nut, it made sense for me to be the Guest Editor. I’m looking forward to doing it again…

JLR is going to cut about 10 per cent (500 posts) of its workforce at its Halewood plant near Liverpool, as it moves from a round-the-clock three shift pattern to two, under an agreement that allows it to extend some workdays to accommodate extra demand. According to Bloomberg, the reason for the reductions is “to cut costs amid mounting spending on electric cars”. On the other hand, Tata Motors (JLR parent company) explains that “it is about efficiency, not loss of volume”, and that the change was agreed as part of pay negotiations last year and that it will seek voluntary departures. Almost a year ago we reported that JLR had planned to cut 4500 jobs worldwide as it struggled with a sales slowdown caused by reducing demand for diesel…

PROF Sir Ralf Speth has decided to retire from his current role as Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Jaguar Land Rover at the end of his contract term in September 2020. He has however agreed to maintain his relationship with JLR by becoming non-executive Vice Chairman, and will also remain on the board of Tata Sons. Speth has overseen a remarkable turnaround of the business, with increased sales, over 8000 jobs created and high-profile launches, and much of this success is attributed to his insistence on a design focus in every aspect of the company’s approach. “I’m talking about how we design all our processes, how we design the research and manufacturing, how we design the training, the recruitment plans, the personal skills. And how we design our…

CHESHIRE’S police force has launched a new scheme aiming to deter criminals from stealing Land Rover Defenders, and it’s doing it with stickers! Yep, we’re dubious too. The area’s Rural Crime Team has been handing out stickers, which feature the wording ‘Police Stop Me’, asking owners to place them in the back window. These stickers are designed to prompt officers to stop the vehicle to make sure the rightful owner is sitting behind the wheel – but officers will also be stopping Defenders which aren’t sporting them. Sergeant Rob Simpson told Warrington Guardian: “In line with the national picture, we are seeing an increase in Defenders being stolen due to their continuing popularity. “Defenders are the workhorses of farms or are the well-loved part of the family character vehicle, with…

JLR has reported financial results for the three-month period ending December 31 2019, and things are looking good. Revenues increased to £6.4 billion, up 2.8 per cent year-on-year, and while total retail sales fell 2.3 per cent, sales in China continued to recover (up 24.3 per cent) and sales in North America increased by 1.1 per cent. The improvement reflected a combination of the higher China volume, stronger product mix (specifically the Range Rover Evoque and refreshed Discovery Sport), lower operating costs (including the Project Charge transformation programme) and favourable foreign exchange. Despite the many challenges presently facing the industry, Jaguar Land Rover has continued to expect improved profitability and cash flow for the financial year ending 31 March 2020 with an EBIT margin of around 3 per cent, however,…

LAND Rover has joined forces with Keswick Mountain Festival (KMF) to become title partner of one of the UK’s best-loved outdoor festivals. The KMF attracts around 20,000 visitors to Cumbria each year, offering a unique mix of live entertainment, sporting events, outdoor adventures, high profile speakers, taster activities, exhibitor stands and camping for all of the family. Thanks to support from Land Rover, facilities and activities on the site will be even more extensive in 2020. As part of a major new attraction, festival-goers will be able to test drive the new Defender across a challenging off-road course or get up close to the new car on Land Rover’s stand. The heart of KMF will be the Festival Village in Crow Park – with the backdrop of Derwentwater and the…