What's the news?
Jaguar Land Rover's SVO (Special Vehicle Operations) just got serious; it has just invested the best part of €35m in its UK home to build a pair of new facilities to house its SVO and Classic operations. The world's rich are demanding ever more exclusive, faster and more personalised products, and Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) can offer that through its SVO division. It covers everything from limited edition models like the F-Type Project 7 through to higher volume production models like the Range Rover Sport SVR and F-Type SVR, while also offering SVAutobiography for super luxury Range Rovers, as well as armoured vehicles, classic restorations and parts supply - and the promise of a lot more to come as well.
The naming is a bit all over the place, but the Special Vehicle Operations department's remit is broad, and covers two distinct brands. The SVR brand stands for performance, SVAutobiography for luxury, while the (yet to be seen) SVX badge will cover an extreme off-road vehicle for those who like their toys down and dirty. The Classic division covers everything from the continuation Lightweight E-Types and XKSS models, to the 'reborn' cars like the Series 1 Land Rovers. It'll provide an extensive parts department and will be able to undertake full-scale restorations of any model over 10 years old - think E-Types rather than X-Types.
Anything else?
The Classic division will also support racing, with some 67 classic Jaguars lining up for a dedicated race at Classic Le Mans in the next few weeks. With a massive investment the new buildings housing all these different branches of the SVO empire are located in the Midlands in England, in JLR's heartland. The SVO department already has 1,000 full-time employees, with another 250 jobs anticipated as the brand builds and production numbers rise. Last year, SVO built around 3,500 cars in total, that expected to reach 5,000 cars a year soon.
JLR is bullish about the prospects of the SVO brand, though John Edwards, Special Operations Director, says "it's not all about profit," instead suggesting it's about building the best for an exacting clientele. Certainly, wandering around the firm's new facilities it's all very impressive, with F1-like build bays and surgery levels of cleanliness, giving JLR the opportunity to properly tap into a marketplace that's increasingly defining high-end luxury and performance car production.