Halewood celebrates breaking the ONE MILLION production milestone.

• 1,000,000 vehicles built at Halewood since 2001 including, Jaguar X-Type, Land Rover Freelander 2 and Range Rover Evoque.
• Milestone vehicle will be a unique Range Rover Evoque, donated to Cancer Research UK.
• A record breaking 220,000 Range Rover Evoques built in just 24 months brings 1m milestone to Halewood ahead of original forecast schedule.

Jaguar Land Rover is celebrating the production of the 1,000,000^th Jaguar Land Rover vehicle at its Halewood advanced manufacturing facility, near Liverpool, today (25^th November 2013).

The 1,000,000 vehicle is a unique Range Rover Evoque, painted in a special one-off colour combination and will be donated to Cancer Research UK. The vehicle is a Fuji-White, Dynamic with ebony-black alloy wheels and distinctive and unique Firenze-Red contrast roof, matching Firenze-Red mirror scalps and red/black sports seats and interior door panels.

Global demand for Range Rover Evoque has exceeded expectations with 18,000 advanced orders before job 1 on 4 July 2011. With continued demand for Evoque and growing sales of Land Rover Freelander 2, this production milestone was achieved earlier than predicted. Production volume at Halewood has increased significantly over the past 12 months due to 24 hour working, bringing the arrival of the 1,000,000 vehicle ahead of original forecasts.

Between 2001 and 2009, 363,603 Jaguar X-Type and X-Type Estates were manufactured at Halewood. The Jaguar X-Type was Jaguar's best-selling model during much of its production run and was Jaguar's first compact executive car for 50 years. In 2002, the Jaguar X-Type Diesel 2.0 was launched and made history for the company as Jaguar’s first ever diesel model. Also in 2002 the Jaguar X-Type Estate was launched, again making history as Jaguar’s first ever estate vehicle.

In 2003 the X-Type achieved best in class Paint Appearance in the JD Power US survey, a hotly contended and sought after prize, which was retained in 2004 and again in 2006. In 2005 Halewood celebrated another significant manufacturing award, this time with the JD Power European Gold Plant Award in Recognition of X-Type’s excellent quality. In 2006 the 2.2 Diesel was launched and in December 2009 the last Jaguar X-Type drove off the line at Halewood.

In 2005 manufacturing preparation works commenced, following significant investment by Land Rover, for the production of the all new Land Rover Freelander 2. On 25 October 2006 the Land Rover Freelander 2 Job 1 drove off the production line and was welcomed into the world by Premier League footballers from Liverpool Football Club. In May 2012 Halewood celebrated the 300,000 production milestone. The global demand for Freelander 2 continues today and it has been one of Land Rover's most popular models with 381,211 being manufactured to date.

In July 2011 Halewood, and the world, welcomed the arrival of the Range Rover Evoque. The smallest, most efficient production Range Rover ever made. When the Evoque started life it had already generated an exceptional market response with more than 18,000 advance orders from customers worldwide. Waiting lists for the car peaked at 12 months for some markets during the second half of 2011. As a result of this demand, Halewood Operations moved to 24 hour production for the first time in its 50 year history. The Evoque has received over 130 global awards and is the biggest selling Jaguar Land Rover vehicle, breaking Jaguar Land Rover production volume records in both of its first two years of production. Halewood has manufactured 255,186 to date.

Richard Else, Operations Director, Halewood, said: “We are delighted to be celebrating this huge milestone for Halewood. This unique Evoque looks stunning and is a one-off vehicle that will raise money for Cancer Research UK projects here in the North West.”

“Over the past few years many of the families of my growing team have been impacted by various forms of cancer. This milestone vehicle, built with pride at Halewood, will help raise much needed funds to help eradicate this dreadful disease.” 

The 1,000,000^th vehicle will be donated to Cancer Research UK, who will take ownership of the vehicle later in the year. The CRUK team will be placing the car in a special auction event in 2014. Details of the event will be revealed in the new year and funds raised from the vehicle will then be spent on CRUK projects in the North West of England.

Cancer Research UK funds world-class research and clinical trials throughout the North West and last year spent nearly £21 million supporting the work of doctors, nurses and scientists at hospitals and major universities in the region. Every hour more than four people in the North West are diagnosed with cancer.

Head of Volunteer Fundraising at Cancer Research UK, Simon O’Leary, said: “We are incredibly grateful to Jaguar Land Rover for thinking of us and making such a generous gift. Cancer Research UK receives no government funding for its life-saving research, so every step we make towards beating cancer relies on every pound donated. The money raised by the auction of the car will make a real difference in the fight against cancer.”

BREAKING NEWS - Land Rover announces that Defender production to stop in 2015

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has said it will stop production of its Defender model in 2015 because it will not meet new European laws on fuel emissions.

The last of the 4x4 models will roll off the production line at its plant in Solihull in the West Midlands in December 2015, it confirmed.

The model had evolved over 67 years of production but it could not be adapted to meet new emissions rules, JLR said.

It said no jobs would be lost and it was working on a replacement model.

The first model in the style of the Defender was introduced in 1948 and was modelled on a World War II Jeep.

It was not given the Defender name until the early 1990s, shortly after the launch of the Land Rover Discovery.

More than two million have been sold since the car first appeared, JLR said.

The firm said the decision to cease production was "mainly legislation based."

'Workhorses with style'

Plans by the European Council and Parliament to bring in stricter measures for new car emissions by 2020 meant there were "certain conditions the Defender just won't meet," the company said.

It said a replacement model for the Defender was being developed to be launched in 2016.

The Defender is very much a part of Land Rover's heritage but it does need to change.

Making the vehicle is pretty labour intensive and it is also not as mainstream as other Land Rover models.

The new Range Rover Sport, for instance, while still being an off-road vehicle is designed for a completely different and much more lucrative market.


The Defender has for a long time been the workhorse of the farmer, but these days Land Rover and Range Rover models are anything but.

Yes farmers still buy them, but desirability has propelled the brands into the premium market, somewhere the current Defender model just does not seem to fit anymore.

JLR's head of products, John Edwards, said the new model would be "instantly recognised" by people who drive the current vehicle but it "won't necessarily be cheap".

Editor of Auto Express magazine, Steve Fowler, said the Defender had taken on "iconic status" after being driven by members of the Royal Family and being featured in the latest James Bond film, Skyfall.

He said: "It's a very important market for Land Rover, one of its three pillars with the Range Rover and the Discovery.

"As we experienced with another iconic car, the Mini, it had a bit of a sabbatical before coming back and that's what I fully expect to happen with the Defender."

Frank King, from the Land Rover owners' club in Cannock, Staffordshire, said it was "disappointing news."

He said: "The silhouette still looks the same as it did 67 years ago, although its been upgraded and had new engines and whatever. It's a real shame to see it go."

Peter PlisnerBBC Midlands transport correspondent


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