Jaguar Land Rover plans to buy Silverstone unveiled
Just over a year ago, Jaguar Land Rover hit the motoring headlines with boasts of a £450 million investment into their Castle Bromwich depot after record car sales in 2014. As 2016 gets underway, it seems clear that there is nothing holding the luxury car maker back. Jaguar Land Rover is now set to be investing a further £500 million into a new facility in Coventry.
The proposed 30 acre site, which will include a £32 million bridge construction project to link two sides of the A45 near Coventry airport, will house mainly back room staff associated with the manufacturers administrative jobs. Furthermore, there appears to be space for as many as 30 of the manufactures suppliers. Staff currently housed at Whitley are understood to be moving to the new facility to free up the Whitley works for the creation of hundreds of extra R&D positions.
In addition to all this exciting expansion and investment, it is understood that JLR have put forward a bid to buy the historic Northamptonshire based race circuit, Silverstone. Situated in the heart of the motorsport industries “silicon valley” the move would certainly benefit the development of JLR’s confirmed entry into FIA Formula E which we covered on the Hamilton Classic and Motorsport blog a few weeks ago.
Sources close to the management at Jaguar Land Rover have told the press that talks have been on – going for some time and that any deal would allow Silverstone to remain the home of the British Grand Prix. The circuit is thought to be valued at around £23 million.
Those plans are also thought to include a heritage centre, British Motor industry museum, hotels and special projects workshops although much of that remains within the realms of speculation. Which got us to wondering – could we soon see Jaguar return to F1 or even sports car racing? A Jaguar works team back at Le Mans perhaps, now there’s an exciting daydream!
