Why JLR is on track to become the most successful home-grown British car brand in history
Latest figures show Jaguar Land Rover sales rising and the company to be in rude health.
But it’s hard to believe that, four years ago, JLR was losing money and desperately in need of a £500 million loan to keep the company upright in the aftermath of the credit crunch.
JLR owner Tata turned to the UK government for a short-term loan in 2009. But the decision-making process proved slow and the government was accused of seeking a seat on the JLR board in return for a bail-out. In the end, Tata secured the loan from private banks.
The sheer strength of JLR’s rebound from that point can be seen in the revenue figures. The year after obtaining the loans, JLR had revenues of £6.53 billion. In the financial year that ended in April this year, it banked £15.78bn, a rise of 140 per cent.