JimS
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I want one. With steelies and a rack.
Grenadier story update
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Thats similar to mine except mine was a tasteful brown.You'll be lucky to find one now, they've mostly fell to bits and the ones that are out there are stupid money.
Grenadier production moved to France. Still looks like it could be a decent vehicle, it will all depend on the price.
Although Land Rover had licensed the Defender 110 panels to Bowler Motorsport in Derbyshire (well, they do own the company)
And they are building a 110 "road rally vehicle" as the first road biased product from Bowler Motorsports
lt looks like a 110 but underneath it's all Bowler, not sure what interior is fitted. And of course it's got about 600bhp and will do 0-60 in about four seconds.
Price? £200,000 lol
Arabs and lottery winners form an orderly queue here
Although Land Rover had licensed the Defender 110 panels to Bowler Motorsport in Derbyshire (well, they do own the company)
And they are building a 110 "road rally vehicle" as the first road biased product from Bowler Motorsports
lt looks like a 110 but underneath it's all Bowler, not sure what interior is fitted. And of course it's got about 600bhp and will do 0-60 in about four seconds.
Price? £200,000 lol
Arabs and lottery winners form an orderly queue here
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JimS
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It'd be useful when I'm pulling out of Wickes car park onto the main road but my pots of paint might spill
v8250
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Has this been confirmed? If so, Sir Jim needs a kick up the arse...a confirmed British Stalwart selling UK manufacturing down river to the commercially untrustworthy Frogs. He had the opportunity to build in UK and structure a proper international manufacturing base at Bridgend.
Can only imagine this is EU import tax and start-up funding driven. Perhaps Ineos see the Grenadier primary market as the EU, not ROW. Can't understand this as French employer/employment costs far out-way UK costs, even with start-up funding. Or, has UK Govt failed to support Ineos Grenadier leaving them to look elsewhere?
JimS
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It comes down to taking over a ready made mothballed Mercedes factory or building a new one, I imagine he was lobbying the government for support (I think the Welsh government was supporting so is that now being repaid?)
Personally I think it's a mistake, he's looking at initial costs over long term marketability, I guess there are a lot of engineers out of work in that sector on the French / German border though
v8250
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@JimS , +1 to this...if this was my business the last place I'd be looking to start a small-mid sized production facility would be France. Strategically, I'd two stage the expansion starting in UK then when right time [with enough global sales] relocate primary manufacturing overseas/Eastern Europe or even Portugal. Global engineering resource is a commodity in this sector, easy to sub-in/out when needed. It's the firm footed production base that's key. I'm wondering if Welsh Assembly have ****ed up/reneged on their side of deal...or greedy Jim being to firm with them at negotiation? They're not in his league/negotiation experience and this may have frightened off Welsh Assembly/WDA type folk. There are some significant investors in Wales who could support Ineos Grenadier Bridgend, Terry Matthews and Michael Moritz spring to mind. Both hugely seasoned investors and both passionate for all things Welsh. Though can't imagine Sir Jim wanting to give up too much equity at deal stage.
JimS
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If I recall Portugal was where the chassis was going to be built and they got the carpet pulled out from under them as well with everything now being done in the French factory
v8250
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Never trust a French company and deal with them only as last resort. One can imagine the French team holding gun to Grenadier team insisting 100% of works come to French factory or it's a no deal.
Personally, I'd have told them to "frappez la route, Jaques...!", in fact I did do this back in the 90's but that's a story for another day. The problem is that if one has a dictatorial partner at stage one, just imagine how poor the relationship is going to be 3-5 years down the road when the business is going through difficult times...and Grenadier have the French Govt/Agencies crawling all over them in the name of Liberty, Equality and sod the Fraternity. It doesn't baud well...
v8250
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I'd like to think it's a ruse to put pressure on UK plc. And cannot see this would save £10M's...one French union strike in solidarity of their Renualt/PSA workers and/or farmers and those savings are no longer savings.
I imagine the Portuguese are at a loss over this move, they're in huge need of employment and are very conscientious hard working folk
neilly
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