Tycoon pledges to revive Queen’s trusty Land Rover
Chemicals giant turns its hand to ‘building the world’s purest 4x4’ aimed at farmers and explorers
WHEN Jaguar Land Rover announced it was ending production of its popular Defender model, devotees scrambled to second-hand sites in a desperate effort to get their hands on one.
But the vehicle – or one very much like it – could soon take to the road once more, after one of the UK’s richest men revealed his company is going to start manufacturing an off-road car in the style of the popular 4x4.
Jim Ratcliffe, 64, the chairman and chief executive of chemicals giant Ineos, said the firm will spend “hundreds of millions” on the plans.
The new vehicle will not be a replica of the Defender but will “reflect its philosophy”, according to Ineos, which claims the car will “offer a real and pure alternative to the current crop of standardised jelly-mould SUVs”.
Calling it a “fantastically exciting project”, Mr Ratcliffe said he wanted to “build the world’s purest 4x4”, which will be aimed at explorers, farmers and off-road enthusiasts across the world.
Land Rover, which was not due to introduce a replacement until 2019, is fiercely protective of its Defender brand, which is the favourite of farmers, country folk and the Queen.
The firm ended its 67-year production run in January last year amid concerns the vehicle could not meet new emission rules. Workers and fans cheered as the last one rolled off the Solihull production line.
Rumours had been circulating since last summer that Ineos – which owns the Grangemouth petrochemical plant and is investing in shale gas exploration – had been considering a move into the car sector. Dirk Heilmann, the company’s former head of engineering and technology, will lead the newly formed Ineos Automotive, which is recruiting experts from the car industry. “This is an amazing project for everyone involved,” said Mr Heilmann. “Our job is to create the world’s best 4x4.”
Ineos has completed a six-month study into the project and believes it is viable, with hopes that the new car could be built in the north of England.
Professor David Bailey, of Aston University, said: “There could be a small market opportunity but there is a lot of competition.
“When Jaguar Land Rover closed the production line, it started restoring old Defenders and selling them and is probably making more money on those than it did on new ones.”
He added: “People underestimate just how hard it is to build a car which has the reliability we have come to expect and is also cutting edge. But there are some niche sports car manufacturers building a handful of cars for diehard enthusiasts and maybe this car could find the same sort of market.”
A multimillion-pound haul of engines stolen from Jaguar Land Rover at Solihull was recovered in police raids in the Midlands yesterday.