Hundreds of jobs could be won and lost in the Coventry
and Warwickshire sub-region if Ford’s deal to buy Land Rover from BMW is completed.
The sale of the marque, which is produced in Solihull, is expected to be completed this
week.
Last-minute wrangles have delayed the sale after it was revealed that Land Rover losses
were running at £100 million a year.
Ford plans to increase production form 180,000 vehicles a year to its capacity 250,000.
But it is expected to switch suppliers, which could cost thousands of jobs in Britain.
Ford, which is buying Land Rover for £1.8 billion will share parts with its Maverick
and Explorer models, and will look abroad more than Land Rover have in the past.
Land Rover currently buys around 90 per cent of its components in the UK.
Rover suppliers are also to be hit, with new owners Phoenix planning to make savings by
switching to European markets. The strength of the pound will make it cheaper to shop on
the continent.
