Welcome the Ineos Legionnaire

“2020, the year of coronavirus, Brexit and maximum aggravation. I have never known Britain so divided... Luckily, an interest in Land Rovers is a great form of escapism.

THANK heavens that’s over. I’m talking about 2020, the year of coronavirus, Brexit and maximum aggravation. It was the pandemic and the leaving of the EU that caused the aggro. I have never known Britain so divided. Brexit started it all. The nation was very evenly balanced on the subject, with a very narrow margin of victory for the Brexiteers. That left the pro-europeans fuming and accusing anyone in the other camp of racism and stupidity. Then along came Covid-19, a myriad of confusing “guidelines” and a nation divided again, between those who stuck to the rules and those who flouted them. At the time of writing we’re in lockdown and the nation appears to be divided between those who will and won’t take the vaccine.

It has not been a pleasant experience. Luckily, an interest in Land Rovers is a great form of escapism. You don’t even have to drive one to get away from all the arguments, because you can read about them. The fact that you’re reading these words, in this magazine, sort of proves my point.

My best read of 2020 came from a book simply titled JUE 477, which sounds like a number plate – and in fact is. It’s the story of the remarkable restoration of JUE 477, the world’s first production Land-rover (they were hyphenated in those days). The author, Martin Port, wrapped me in a snug blanket of nostalgia as he described how chassis number 860001 had led a hard life in the North East of England until it was abandoned on a remote hillside for 28 years. When eventually recovered by enthusiasts, it was in a terrible state. But it was almost totally original, which encouraged restorer extraordinaire, Julian Shoolheifer, to take on the project.

You may well decide to invest in this book yourself, so I won’t spoil the story by giving away any more details, but suffice to say that JUE 477 is now owned by one of Britain’s richest men – a certain Jim Radcliffe. If that name rings a bell, it’s because he’s the Land Rover fan who was so disgruntled about JLR’S decision to end production of the real Defender that he decided to build his own version: the Ineos Grenadier. That’s another good news story that kept me smiling on regardless through the lockdown. I’m a patriotic kind of bloke and I loved the idea of a rich Land Rover enthusiast and prominent Brexit supporter investing in a British icon. Better still, he pledged to build in the UK – in Wales, to be exact – unlike JLR’S Defender replacement, which went into production in Slovakia.

To be honest, I thought (and still think) that JLR had a bit of a cheek calling the new vehicle Defender. It has as much in common with its predecessor as a modern VW Beetle has with Hitler’s original Volkswagen. The Ineos Grenadier, I reckoned, was its natural successor (to the Defender, not the Fuhrer’s conveyance). But, before you all start waving your Union Jacks and celebrating, let it be known that Sir Jim has backtracked. The latest news is that instead of Bridgend, Wales, the Ineos Grenadier is to be built in Hambach, France. Sacre bleu!

Ineos claims the move has nothing to do with Brexit, but was because a former Mercedes factory in France had become available, complete with state-of-the-art production facilities and a skilled workforce. A spokesperson said that the move was “the right thing to do for the business”. Mmm. Perhaps not so good for the would-be workforce of South Wales. In fact it was a kick in the teeth, because Ineos was supposed to be taking over a former Ford factory, which was closing with 1700 workers being made redundant.

Back in late 2019, announcing plans to set up the Grenadier factory in Bridgend, Radcliffe had said: “The decision to build in the UK is a significant expression of confidence in British manufacturing, which has always been at the heart of what Ineos stands for.”

But that was then. Now Radcliffe says: “Ineos Automotive set out a vision to build the world’s best utilitarian 4x4, and at our new home in Hambach, we will do just that. Hambach presented us with a unique opportunity that we simply could not ignore: to buy a modern automotive manufacturing facility with a world-class workforce.”

So was the Bridgend factory less state-ofthe-art? Or were Ford’s workers less skilled? What’s the story, Sir Jim?

The billionaire Sir Jim Radcliffe was certainly among the most prominent Brexit supporters. It’s not just in the valleys of South Wales that his change of mind will be seen as a betrayal.

Will the vehicle that was famously named after Sir Jim’s favourite drinking hole (the Grenadier pub, in Belgravia, London) now be known as the Ineos Legionnaire? In the circumstances, that would certainly appear appropriate.

Today, as Sir Jim lovingly polishes JUE 477, the first production Land Rover – and made in Britain – I wonder if he has any regrets. ■EX-LRM Editor Dave has driven Land Rovers in most corners of the world, but loves the British countryside best