Linwood once more? First cars to be built in Scotland since the 70s Hillman Imp
Thousands of pre-orders for £65k electric ‘Munro’ 4x4
IT was such a devastating turning point in Scotland’s proud industrial history that pop duo The Proclaimers even captured it in song with the words ‘Linwood no more’.
As the last car rolled off the production line in 1981 at the Hillman Imp factory in Renfrewshire, with up to 13,000 jobs lost, it was the death knell for car manufacturing north of the Border.
But now Scotland will see its car industry reborn with the launch next month of a new all-terrain electric 4x4, the Munro Mk1 – named after Scottish mountains over 3,000ft because of its off-road capabilities.
Entrepreneurs Russell Peterson and Ross Anderson aim to produce 2,500 Munros a year by 2027, employing 300 people.
It is expected to find a ready-made market in sectors such as mining, construction, forestry, farming and even mountain rescue.
There are understood to already be around 3,000 pre-orders for the Munro from fleet operators in the US, despite its £65,000 (plus VAT) price tag.
There is also significant interest from sheep farmers in Australia, as well as companies in Africa with a need for go-anywhere vehicles, as solar power can be used to charge the battery.
Munro Vehicles, based in East Kilbride, is planning an official launch in Edinburgh on December 5.
Chief executive Mr Peterson said its design commitment was to ‘build an allterrain electric 4x4, engineered from the wheels up to provide unparalleled workhorse capability for commercial customers looking to decarbonise their fleets’. He added: ‘The Munro will effortlessly go to places others can’t reach, with bulletproof durability and ultra-low running costs.’
Mr Peterson said it had taken three years for the pair to hone their concept vehicle, which was then tested on specially designed terrain. They received £750,000 in funding to develop their prototype from a £20 million low-carbon project fund run by Elbow Beach Capital, a social impact venture established in London last year.
Mr Peterson said: ‘Our mission was simple – design and build the greatest all-electric, all-terrain vehicle. We could see markets for such a concept in farming, mining, mountain rescue and forestry – anywhere that makes the ultimate demand on a permanent 4x4.’
Yesterday, Neil Swanson, director of the Electric Vehicle Association Scotland, said a big part of the Munro’s appeal is that it consists largely of existing parts, removing the need to manufacture new ones.
He said: ‘Why re-invent the wheel when you already have one? Global interest in the Munro is understandable because you can sell it to any part of the world, knowing that spare parts will be locally available.’
The five-seater Munro is designed to run off-road for around 150 miles on a full charge. Its ‘rough, tough’ image is enhanced by the fact that the interior can be hosed down.
Mr Swanson added: ‘This is not intended for domestic buyers. Its market will be the fleet sector for 4x4s. It might look expensive at first but it will go on for 20 years, which will eventually prove cheap.’
In its heyday, Linwood produced up to 450,000 cars over an 18-year period while it was home to the Chrysler car plant, later taken over by Peugeot Talbot.
One of its star vehicles was the Hillman Imp, which first went into production in 1963 and was marketed as a Scottish rival to the legendary Mini.