Jaguar XE production assembly factory at Castle Bromwich plant

 

The Castle Bromwich plant, viewed from the other side of Spitfire Island.





Spitfire Island

 

Thanks for the prhotos

What does that sculpture signify?


I am happy to hear that XE's are selling well enough that JLR had to increase production capacity.

 

The Castle Bromwich factory was originally built to manufacture Spitfires during World War II. After the war the factory was purchase by a company that was later taken over by the British Motor Corporation as was Jaguar circa 1970. The sculpture - three Spitfires in flight - is called the Sentinel and was built in the 1990s as a nod to the factory's past. It is the work of a Tim Tolkien who is the great nephew of JRR Tolkien.

There used to be an aerodrome next to the factory and Birmingham Racecourse was also nearby. Both have now been built upon to provide housing and you would never guess that they were there.

Co-incidentally, Jaguar's plant in Solihull was also initially built for war production and was allocated to the Rover car company to build aero engines.