Brexit will force Jaguar Land Rover to idle its UK factories in April
The shutdown will only last a week, but it could be a sign of bigger problems to come.
Jaguar Land Rover , alongside the rest of the British auto industry, has been in borderline panic mode with Brexit looming, and now it's looking like the iconic British marques will idle four factories for an additional week or more in April, according to a report published Sunday by Motor1.
Jaguar Land Rover currently operates vehicle production facilities in Solihull, Castle Bromwich and Halewood and an engine assembly plant in Wolverhampton which it typically shuts down for a week in April. This year that stoppage will be extended by at least a week. Only its UK factories will be affected by the shutdown, but it's still a significant bump in the road for the car maker.
Other British automakers have resorted to drastic measures as well. Aston Martin has already enacted its No-Deal Brexit contingency plan while German-owned Bentley is reportedly considering moving production from the UK to continental Europe if things go totally pear-shaped.
Lotus is newly flush with cash, courtesy of its primary investor Geely, but if we had the kind of financial history that it does, coupled with its low yearly sales, we'd be soiling ourselves at the moment.
Jaguar Land Rover didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
Correction 2/5/19 8:04 A.M.: We removed a reference to Rolls-Royce possibly moving production after receiving clarification from the brand that the report we cited was inaccurate.