Browns Lane plant facts for kids
The Browns Lane plant was a very important factory in Coventry, England. It started during World War II as a special "shadow factory" run by a company called The Daimler Company. In 1951, another famous car company, Jaguar Cars, took over the factory. Browns Lane was Jaguar's main home for over 50 years, until 2005.
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A Special Factory for Jaguar Cars
For many years, almost all Jaguar cars were made at the Browns Lane plant. This changed in 1998 when the Jaguar S-Type car began to be built at the Castle Bromwich Assembly factory. Castle Bromwich had actually started making Jaguar cars back in 1977.
Jaguar's Production Moves On
Over the years, fewer Jaguar cars were made at Browns Lane. New models started to be built at the Castle Bromwich factory in Birmingham. Some cars were also made at the former Ford Halewood Body & Assembly plant in Halewood, near Liverpool.
However, the main Jaguar XJ and XK car models stayed at Browns Lane until 2005. After these cars moved to Castle Bromwich, the Browns Lane site mostly held Jaguar's main offices and the museum. About 500 staff also worked there, making special wood parts for Jaguar, Aston Martin, and Land Rover cars.
Later, Jaguar's main offices moved to the Whitley plant in Whitley, Coventry. But the Wood Shop, the Museum, and a special workshop for building new car prototypes stayed at Browns Lane.
The End of an Era
In 2007, an Australian property company called Macquarie Goodman bought the Browns Lane site. This sale meant that Jaguar no longer had a presence at the factory after more than 50 years. The large assembly halls, where cars were put together, were taken down in late 2008.
What is Browns Lane Now?
The Browns Lane site has changed a lot since Jaguar left.
New Homes and Businesses
In 2010, a part of the land was bought by a company that builds houses, Taylor Wimpey. In 2012, the Jaguar Heritage Museum at Browns Lane was also taken down. The new homes built there are now part of a housing area called "Swallow's Nest."
Jaguar's Pilot Plant, which is used for testing new car designs, is still in use on the site. A new area for businesses, called "Lyons Business Park," has also been built where the old factory once stood. You can get to this business park from Coundon Wedge Drive.
