LONDON, England (Reuters) -- Sports car maker TVR, one of Britain's few
remaining independent auto makers, is to end vehicle production at its
Blackpool factory with the loss of up to 260 jobs when operations are
outsourced overseas.
The company, which was bought in 2004 by Nikolai Smolensky, the son of
Russian banker Alexander Smolensky, said on Wednesday cars would be
produced in Europe with engines built in Britain.
"We are extremely sorry that, after a period of uncertainty and raised
hopes that we could continue production ourselves in Blackpool, we have
had to make this decision," Nikolai Smolensky said in a statement.
"We need to secure the future of the company and move it forward. I am
afraid we see no other way to do so."
The job losses are another blow for the British car industry which will
see 2,300 jobs go at Peugeot's plant at Ryton in January next year.
The mews that all TVR car production is to end in Britain will be a
shock to workers. Staff had been told in April that it was hoped
production at the Bispham, Blackpool site would be relocated to new
premises in the Lancashire area.
"This is a bitter blow for Blackpool and an iconic British sports car,"
union official Dave McCall said on Wednesday.
"It is particularly hard to take in after everyone's hopes had been
raised just a few months ago when workers who had been laid off were
taken back."
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