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Production of the Ford Transit van at Southampton is likely to be halved with the introduction of the next-generation model in 2011.

Unions are currently considering proposals from Ford that reduce the plant to building Transit chassis-cab variants only, cutting annual production from the current 75,000 to around 35,000.

“The market for cars and commercial vehicles is intense and it is vital that Ford vehicles and locations remain cost competitive,” the company’s statement said.Read the full article

Why are you British people standing for this? In Germany if Ford decided to end the Köln production of Focus, Germans would not buy Fords, and the government would not allow them to go with out paying fines. You complain about credit and debt problems, but it is your own fault, you make nothing and buy everything.

 

If you had compared a Transit with a Sprinter in crash tests, you might not want to travel in a Transit anyway.

 http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=C3kN6WF5vAA&feature=related

 

helmut:

Why are you British people standing for this? In Germany if Ford decided to end the Köln production of Focus, Germans would not buy Fords, and the government would not allow them to go with out paying fines. You complain about credit and debt problems, but it is your own fault, you make nothing and buy everything.

As with Ford Germany, it isn't just about the production of the vehicle, it's about the design and development, quite a bit of which is still done in the UK. 

Personally though, my choice is an LDV Maxus.  British built and designed and a fraction of the price of a tranny!

TegTypeR:

Personally though, my choice is an LDV Maxus.  British built and designed and a fraction of the price of a tranny!

Teg, can't speak for an objective assessment of the Maxus against the Transit and its other competitors but from a commercial point of view things down Drews Lane way, look decidedly dicey. From latest SMMT light commercials(vans) registration figures for October, LDV sales were down almost two thirds! against last October and are over one-third down year to date. They only sold or pre-registered? 300 vehicles(<3.5T LCVs) in October in the UK, surely their largest market. There are about 900 people employed at the Castle Bromwich plant and I fear for their jobs. The recent dragging of the LDV name into the headlines courtesy of Deripaska, ultimate owner of LDV through GAZ, and stories of billionaires on yachts surely can't have done the brand good, unless you subscribe to the view that all publicity, of whatever kind, is a good thing.

horseandcart:

From latest SMMT light commercials(vans) registration figures for October, LDV sales were down almost two thirds! against last October and are over one-third down year to date. They only sold or pre-registered? 300 vehicles(<3.5T LCVs) in October in the UK, surely their largest market.

I was under the impression that they were still selling okay in their other markets, although admittedly still down due to the global economic issues.

Unfortunately, I don't think any company is going to be immune to laying people off if the world economy continues the way it is.  Just have to hope scandal or not that the Russian billionaires continue to bank roll the company and keep the people in work. 

horseandcart:

There are about 900 people employed at the Castle Bromwich plant

Oops. I meant to say Washwood Heath, not Castle Bromwich. Was mixing up with Jag plant. Drews Lane, LDV's plant, is the old Morris Commercials site from many years back.

A potted history of Drews Lane/Common Lane:

http://www.aronline.co.uk/index.htm?pfwardendf.htm

 Having driven Transits and the previous LDV, I wouldn't go near the latter at any price if it was my choice.

samoht:

Having driven Transits and the previous LDV, I wouldn't go near the latter at any price if it was my choice.

Trust me the new Maxus is NOTHING like the old LDV's.  If it had have been then I would never have bught one.