'You cannot build this car anywhere else in the world'
Car maker Longbow, which hopes to build thousands of cars, says the region has the talent and know-how.
'You cannot build this car anywhere else in the world'
A British carmaker has revealed plans to begin making its hand-built electric sports car in Warwickshire.
Longbow will start production of its limited-edition Speedster at Mira Tech Park in Nuneaton next year.
West Midlands mayor Richard Parker, who supported Longbow with £3m from a government fund, said the project will be followed by the company’s Roadster model, creating more than 200 skilled jobs.
Daniel Davey, Longbow’s co-chief executive officer, said the region was the best place to build the cars. "It's not just the supply chain; you've got the talent here and the know-how," he said.
Davey said: "You cannot build this car anywhere else in the world. And if you did, you would be importing UK components to it.
"So you can get heavy components elsewhere, and you can get high-volume components elsewhere; what we're looking for is low-volume, high-quality, low-cost, low-weight."
The Speedster already has a waiting list of potential buyers from around the world, ready to pay about £85,000 for the sports car.
At the test track at Mira, the all-British creation quietly showed how a lightweight sports car can move from concept to vehicle in less than two years, with help from regional expertise.
Longbow said the UK was strong at building lightweight sports cars.
"Our designers are just up the road in Leamington Spa, engineers from across the West Midlands and further afield," Davey added.
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the £3m was intended to strengthen the supply chain and the industry.
West Midlands Combined Authority said the money would be matched by Longbow, which plans to build more than 10,000 cars a year.
Parker said: "We've been building cars here in West Midlands for 130 years, so what better location for a new generation of carmakers like Longbow.
"They know this industry inside out and are investing here because this is quite simply the best place in the UK to build a car."
Car industry expert Professor David Bailey said: "They're trying to do what Tesla first did many years ago with a sort of lightweight, fast electric sports car.
"So I think it's great; it shows we have great research and development skills. We can probably compete, I think, in terms of low-volume, high-margin cars, but more broadly we need to be doing a lot more to support the auto industry in the region and enable it to continue growing."