LDV Limited
Encyclopedia
LDV Group Limited was a British van
manufacturer, based in the Ward End
area of Birmingham
.
In its history part of Rover Group
and Leyland DAF
, was latterly a wholly owned subsidiary of the Russia
n GAZ
group. Due to the worldwide recession and a lack of long term investment, production was halted at LDV's Birmingham factory in December 2008.
After a series of failed rescue attempts in 2009, the assets of the company were sold by administrators PricewaterhouseCoopers
to China Venture's firm Eco Concept, on 15 October 2009.
's Leyland DAF
van manufacturing division, following the bankruptcy of the Dutch company. Later the name was officially changed to LDV Limited.
Prior to its merger with Leyland Trucks
and DAF Trucks
in 1987 it was part of the British Leyland / Rover Group
empire and was latterly the Freight Rover
arm of the Land Rover Group
division.
In December 2005, after going into administration, LDV was bought by group Sun Capital/Sun European Partners and was subject to a financial restructuring. What Van reported LDV's commitment to its existing customers, including an assurance from their marketing director that their production target of 1000 vans per month would put them well above break-even point.
The Russia
n GAZ
Group acquired LDV on 31 July 2006, and also established a new company, GAZ International, based in the UK, to focus on the automotive industry. The BBC reported that a GAZ spokesperson said that the company had appointed former Ford of Europe
executive Martin Leach and former A.T. Kearney
executive Steve Young to run the business, and that it planned to expand production at LDV's Birmingham plant by adding new product lines and entering new markets in Europe
and elsewhere. GAZ had plans to export LDV technology to Russia, and start producing the Maxus at the GAZ Nizhny Novgorod
plant in Russia with 50,000 as an initial volume. (http://www.autoindustry.co.uk/news/05-11-07_4) There were also proposals to export the GAS Maxus to Australia, a traditional market for British Leyland.
However, GAZ's plans never really showed any increased output, and due to the severe worldwide recession and a lack of long term investment resulting in out date and poor products, production was halted at LDV's Birmingham factory in December 2008.
After the UK Government tried once again to save the company by agreeing to pour in £5million of grants to enable Malaysia's WestStar Corporation to purchase LDV, WestStar failed to secure financing.
The assets of the company were sold by administrators PricewaterhouseCoopers
to China Venture's firm Eco Concept, on 15 October 2009.
s, pick-ups and minibuses, all available with various modifications and specifications. LDV's main customers were large British corporations, such as the Royal Mail
, National Grid plc
and many other utility companies, which demonstrated a preference for British-built vehicles.
Up until early 2006, LDV produced the Convoy
and Pilot
, derived from the venerable British Leyland Sherpa, and developed considerably throughout the 1970s–90s, and which are a common sight in the UK.
, a badge engineered Nissan Vanette.
The last range of vans, the Maxus
, was introduced in 2005. The Maxus was originally planned as a joint venture with Daewoo
of South Korea. Daewoo however, went into receivership in 2000 before the project came to fruition. LDV subsequently acquired the exclusive rights to the van from General Motors, who had taken over Daewoo, and purchased the existing tooling and shipped it all to Birmingham from the Daewoo plant in Poland
where the van was originally intended to be built. The Maxus was fitted with direct injection, common rail, diesel engines supplied by VM Motori
.
Van
A van is a kind of vehicle used for transporting goods or groups of people.In British English usage, it can be either specially designed or based on a saloon or sedan car, the latter type often including derivatives with open backs...
manufacturer, based in the Ward End
Ward End
Ward End is an area of Birmingham, England. It covers the area between Saltley, Hodge Hill and Stechford and includes Ward End Park, a public park that has been open for over 100 years.-Ward End territory:...
area of Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
.
In its history part of Rover Group
Rover Group
The Rover Group plc was the name given in 1986 to the British state-owned vehicle manufacturer previously known as British Leyland or BL. Owned by British Aerospace from 1988 to 1994, when it was sold to BMW, the Group was broken up in 2000 with the Rover and MG marques being acquired by the MG...
and Leyland DAF
Leyland DAF
Leyland DAF was a commercial vehicle manufacturing company based in the United Kingdom, and a division of DAF NV. In 1993 DAF NV became insolvent and Leyland DAF went into receivership.-History:...
, was latterly a wholly owned subsidiary of the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n GAZ
GAZ
GAZ or Gorkovsky Avtomobilny Zavod , translated as Gorky Automobile Plant , started in 1932 as NAZ, a cooperation between Ford and the Soviet Union. It is one of the largest companies in the Russian automotive industry....
group. Due to the worldwide recession and a lack of long term investment, production was halted at LDV's Birmingham factory in December 2008.
After a series of failed rescue attempts in 2009, the assets of the company were sold by administrators PricewaterhouseCoopers
PricewaterhouseCoopers
PricewaterhouseCoopers is a global professional services firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest professional services firm measured by revenues and one of the "Big Four" accountancy firms....
to China Venture's firm Eco Concept, on 15 October 2009.
History
LDV was formed in 1993 as Leyland DAF Vans Limited following a management buy-out of DAF NVDAF NV
DAF NV was a commercial vehicle manufacturing company based in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. In 1993 DAF NV became insolvent.-History:...
's Leyland DAF
Leyland DAF
Leyland DAF was a commercial vehicle manufacturing company based in the United Kingdom, and a division of DAF NV. In 1993 DAF NV became insolvent and Leyland DAF went into receivership.-History:...
van manufacturing division, following the bankruptcy of the Dutch company. Later the name was officially changed to LDV Limited.
Prior to its merger with Leyland Trucks
Leyland Motors Ltd
Leyland Motors Limited was a British vehicle manufacturer of lorries, buses and trolleybuses. It gave its name to the British Leyland Motor Corporation formed when it merged with British Motor Holdings, later to become British Leyland after being nationalised...
and DAF Trucks
DAF Trucks
DAF Trucks NV is a Dutch truck manufacturing company and a division of PACCAR. Its headquarters and main plant are in Eindhoven. Cabs and axle assemblies are produced at its Westerlo plant in Belgium...
in 1987 it was part of the British Leyland / Rover Group
Rover Group
The Rover Group plc was the name given in 1986 to the British state-owned vehicle manufacturer previously known as British Leyland or BL. Owned by British Aerospace from 1988 to 1994, when it was sold to BMW, the Group was broken up in 2000 with the Rover and MG marques being acquired by the MG...
empire and was latterly the Freight Rover
Freight Rover
Freight Rover was a British commercial vehicle manufacturer based in Birmingham, England, United Kingdom.-History:The company was created as a division of the Land Rover Group of British Leyland in 1981, creating a new single brand for BL's panel van business.Under later company organisation...
arm of the Land Rover Group
Land Rover Group
Land Rover Group was a division of British Leyland and later the Rover Group that was in existence between 1981 and 1987. LRG brought British Leyland's light commercial vehicle production under one management, consisting of the Land Rover utility 4x4 range, the Range Rover luxury 4x4 and the...
division.
In December 2005, after going into administration, LDV was bought by group Sun Capital/Sun European Partners and was subject to a financial restructuring. What Van reported LDV's commitment to its existing customers, including an assurance from their marketing director that their production target of 1000 vans per month would put them well above break-even point.
The Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n GAZ
GAZ
GAZ or Gorkovsky Avtomobilny Zavod , translated as Gorky Automobile Plant , started in 1932 as NAZ, a cooperation between Ford and the Soviet Union. It is one of the largest companies in the Russian automotive industry....
Group acquired LDV on 31 July 2006, and also established a new company, GAZ International, based in the UK, to focus on the automotive industry. The BBC reported that a GAZ spokesperson said that the company had appointed former Ford of Europe
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
executive Martin Leach and former A.T. Kearney
A.T. Kearney
A.T. Kearney is a global management consulting firm, focusing on strategic and operational CEO-agenda concerns. It was founded in 1926, and its head office is in Chicago, Illinois...
executive Steve Young to run the business, and that it planned to expand production at LDV's Birmingham plant by adding new product lines and entering new markets in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and elsewhere. GAZ had plans to export LDV technology to Russia, and start producing the Maxus at the GAZ Nizhny Novgorod
Nizhny Novgorod
Nizhny Novgorod , colloquially shortened to Nizhny, is, with the population of 1,250,615, the fifth largest city in Russia, ranking after Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, and Yekaterinburg...
plant in Russia with 50,000 as an initial volume. (http://www.autoindustry.co.uk/news/05-11-07_4) There were also proposals to export the GAS Maxus to Australia, a traditional market for British Leyland.
However, GAZ's plans never really showed any increased output, and due to the severe worldwide recession and a lack of long term investment resulting in out date and poor products, production was halted at LDV's Birmingham factory in December 2008.
After the UK Government tried once again to save the company by agreeing to pour in £5million of grants to enable Malaysia's WestStar Corporation to purchase LDV, WestStar failed to secure financing.
The assets of the company were sold by administrators PricewaterhouseCoopers
PricewaterhouseCoopers
PricewaterhouseCoopers is a global professional services firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest professional services firm measured by revenues and one of the "Big Four" accountancy firms....
to China Venture's firm Eco Concept, on 15 October 2009.
Vehicles
LDV produced a range of panel vanVan
A van is a kind of vehicle used for transporting goods or groups of people.In British English usage, it can be either specially designed or based on a saloon or sedan car, the latter type often including derivatives with open backs...
s, pick-ups and minibuses, all available with various modifications and specifications. LDV's main customers were large British corporations, such as the Royal Mail
Royal Mail
Royal Mail is the government-owned postal service in the United Kingdom. Royal Mail Holdings plc owns Royal Mail Group Limited, which in turn operates the brands Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide...
, National Grid plc
National Grid plc
National Grid plc is a multinational electricity and gas utility company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. Its principal activities are in the United Kingdom and northeastern United States and it is one of the largest investor-owned energy companies in the world.National Grid is listed on...
and many other utility companies, which demonstrated a preference for British-built vehicles.
Convoy/Pilot
LDV Convoy
The LDV Convoy is a panel van that was manufactured by LDV Limited between 1997 and 2006.The Convoy was a development of the Leyland DAF 400 Series, which in turn was based on the Freight Rover 300 Series...
and Pilot
LDV Pilot
The LDV Pilot is a panel van that was produced by LDV Limited from 1997 until 2006, and closely based on preceding models dating back to 1974 ....
, derived from the venerable British Leyland Sherpa, and developed considerably throughout the 1970s–90s, and which are a common sight in the UK.
Cub
Between 1996 and 2001 LDV sold the CubLDV Cub
The LDV Cub is a small van that was marketed by the British manufacturer LDV Limited from 1996 until 2001.The van was developed alongside the Nissan Vanette and the two vans are identical apart from different badging and branding. It was built at Nissan's plant in Spain....
, a badge engineered Nissan Vanette.
Maxus
LDV Maxus
The Maxus is a van model, originally produced by LDV Limited. It was launched in late 2004. The model was jointly developed by LDV and Daewoo Motor, prior to Daewoo entering receivership in 2000, in a five year, £500 million development programme...
, was introduced in 2005. The Maxus was originally planned as a joint venture with Daewoo
Daewoo Motors
The Daewoo Motors was a South Korean car maker established in 1978, part of the Daewoo Group. The company sold most of its assets in 2001 to General Motors after running into financial trouble. The commercial vehicles division was acquired by Tata Motors in 2004.-History:The company was first...
of South Korea. Daewoo however, went into receivership in 2000 before the project came to fruition. LDV subsequently acquired the exclusive rights to the van from General Motors, who had taken over Daewoo, and purchased the existing tooling and shipped it all to Birmingham from the Daewoo plant in Poland
Fabryka Samochodów Ciezarowych
FSC is a large automotive factory established in Poland while it was part of the Soviet bloc. It was founded in 1950 and the first vehicle left its assembly line on November 7, 1951...
where the van was originally intended to be built. The Maxus was fitted with direct injection, common rail, diesel engines supplied by VM Motori
VM Motori
VM Motori S.p.A. is a diesel engine manufacturing company in Cento, Italy, in Emilia-Romagna, an Italian region which is also home to Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati and Ducati.- History :...
.
Sponsorship
- LDV sponsored Aston Villa Football ClubAston Villa F.C.Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
from 1998 to 2000.
- LDV also sponsored the Football League TrophyFootball League TrophyThe Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
until 2006
Models
- ConvoyLDV ConvoyThe LDV Convoy is a panel van that was manufactured by LDV Limited between 1997 and 2006.The Convoy was a development of the Leyland DAF 400 Series, which in turn was based on the Freight Rover 300 Series...
(1993–2006) - PilotLDV PilotThe LDV Pilot is a panel van that was produced by LDV Limited from 1997 until 2006, and closely based on preceding models dating back to 1974 ....
(1993–2006) - CubLDV CubThe LDV Cub is a small van that was marketed by the British manufacturer LDV Limited from 1996 until 2001.The van was developed alongside the Nissan Vanette and the two vans are identical apart from different badging and branding. It was built at Nissan's plant in Spain....
(1996–2001) - MaxusLDV MaxusThe Maxus is a van model, originally produced by LDV Limited. It was launched in late 2004. The model was jointly developed by LDV and Daewoo Motor, prior to Daewoo entering receivership in 2000, in a five year, £500 million development programme...
(2004–2009)