Ryton plant

Ryton chimneys, 2005

Coordinates: 52°22′12″N 1°26′56″W / 52.370°N 1.449°W / 52.370; -1.449 The Ryton plant is a former car manufacturing plant located in Ryton-on-Dunsmore, Warwickshire, England. Developed by the Rootes Group as a shadow factory in 1939^[1] to produce aircraft engines for World War II, post war it became the headquarters of the group. Taken over eventually by Peugeot, it shut in December 2006, and was subsequently redeveloped by Trenport Investments Ltd, for industrial use in March 2007.

The plant, however, met its final demise in November 2007, when it was completely demolished.

Shadow factory

Under plans developed by the Air Ministry in 1936, the Shadow factory plan headed up by Herbert Austin, aimed to increase production capacity in the British aircraft industry. The plan required the construction and development of nine new factories, and investment in the expansion or the capability of the United Kingdom's existing motor vehicle manufacturing plants, to enable them to more quickly turn to aircraft production.

Situated between the A45 (on the North East) and the A423 (on the South West) in Warwickshire, the factory became operational from 1940.

Post war

Ryton, 1994

After the war the site became the headquarters of the Rootes Group, but when the organisation entered financial difficulties in the 1960s, the company (in stages), and thus the plant, were taken over by American car manufacturing giant Chrysler, along with the French manufacturer Simca.

The Rootes models were gradually phased out during the 1970s; with the production of the Hillman Hunter and Avenger models being moved to the Linwood plant in Scotland, and Ryton began manufacturing the Simca-based Chrysler Alpine in 1976, and later the Horizon.

Ryton from that point onward, effectively became a shadow plant to the Simca factory at Poissy in France, which broadly produced the exact same models. Chrysler itself entered financial difficulties, and sold the plant, along with the rest of its European operations for a symbolic US$1.00 to PSA Peugeot Citroën in 1978.

Peugeot started building their 309 there on 28 October 1985, and by the end of 1987, it had been joined by the 405. When production ceased in the beginning of 1993, the 306 took its place, and for a while was the mainstay of production, after the 405's demise in the end of 1995.

The second production line was revived in August 1998, with the commencement of production of the 206, and the 206 was the only car produced at the plant, after the end of production of the 306 in the beginning of 2001. In January 2004, Peugeot decided not to manufacture the 207 in Ryton, thus leaving the factory in danger of being shut down.^[2] In February 2004, the 1,000,000th 206 rolled off the production line.^[3]

Closure

Demolition of the plant, 2007

In April 2006, Peugeot decided that the Ryton plant would close during July 2007. In October 2006, however, Peugeot announced it will close its plant six months sooner than expected.^[4] In the event, it closed on 12 December 2006, and the 140-acre (0.57 km²) site was sold to developer Trenport Investments Ltd for industrial use in March 2007.^[5] The plant was demolished in November 2007.^[6]

In October 2012, Network Rail acquired the site from Prologis, and constructed a haulage distribution centre.^[7] The centre opened the following year, and serves as a hub for the National Delivery Service for Network Rail.^[8]

References