Jaguar Says Goodbye To Combustion At Its Historic Castle Bromwich Plant
Key Takeaways
- Jaguar’s historic plant will now focus on making body panels for future electric models.
- Some combustion models will still be produced, but the focus is shifting towards electric.
- Jaguar’s new $125,000 electric GT will offer performance, luxury, and a 430-mile range on a new architecture.
Endings are always bittersweet, but Jaguar rolling its last combustion sedan, wagon, and sports car off the line hurts a little bit more than most. JLR PR Head Ken McConomy took to Twitter last week to take one last walk through the Castle Bromwich plant as the last combustion vehicles rolled off the line. Representing some of the best Jaguar models of the 21st century, the last three vehicles were an F-Type Convertible, an XE Sedan, and an XF Sportbrake.
2019 Jaguar XF Sportbrake
- Base MSRP
- $64,575
- Engine
- 2.0L Turbo Inline-4 Gas
- Horsepower
- 296 hp
- Fuel Economy
- 21/28 MPG
The plant, whose history dates back to the industrial war effort during WWII, will now be retooled. It will create body panels for future JLR models as the company looks to its electric future that will see it pushed upmarket in an effort to capture a new kind of clientele.
End Of An Era
The factory initially started life as part of the “Shadow Factory” network created in Britain in the 1930s that allowed the country to increase its production output of planes in secret. During the war, the Bromwich plant went on to produce over half of all the Spitfires that helped the country win the war, making it a vital lifeline before being turned into an automotive factory soon after.
It was acquired by Jaguar in 1977, and from then on would go on to produce different products for Jaguar Land Rover while independent and under Ford and Tata ownership. The plant has built vehicles like the S-Type, XJ, and XK over the years, cementing its place in Jaguar history while continuously being reinvented as the state of the company above has continually changed.
An Electric Future Ahead
While it’s sad to see these models go, they aren’t the last combustion vehicles the brand is going to make, as the F-Pace and E-Pace will continue to be built for now. The F-Pace being the only model still made in the UK until future electric models go into production.
The biggest and most exciting project is the introduction of the $125,000 electric GT that will target the likes of Porsche sitting on the brand-new Jaguar Electrified Architecture (JEA) that has been specifically created to offer the performance and luxury many expect from a Jaguar model. Power hasn’t been announced, but the range is being pegged at around 430 miles, giving it the range of a proper GT.
It will be joined by two other electric models, refocusing and shrinking the brand to a more manageable size. This will also see its dealership network shrinking to match.
