Retired French aircraft carrier Clemenceau (R98) is to be broken up at Graythorp in Hartlepool. Clemenceau was originally sent to India for dismantling in 2005 but due to the large amounts of toxic chemicals and materials on board, was denied access.

In 2006, Clemenceau returned to French waters and was anchored off Brest. Able UK have now secured dispensation to handle the 700 tons of asbestos and will be carrying out the contract to scrap the vessel.

About the Clemenceau

“le Clem” was laid-down in 1955 and launched in 1957, with 32,700 tons displacement and angle-deck CATOBAR configuration, she could carry up to 40 aircraft including the possibility of nuclear-armed Super Etendards. In the 1990s Clemenceau supported sorties over the former Yugoslavia. There was a second ship of Clemenceau’s class named ‘Foch’ (R99) which continues to serve to this day in the Brazillian Navy as Sao Paulo.

Clemenceau is expected in Hartlepool for dismantling in the late summer.

So Land Rover and Jaguar have been bought by Tata at long last as a result of a £1.15/billion deal.

Despite American ownership in recent years, the two marques have been considered as the last bastions of British automotive manufacturing. Now many feel that the Land Rover factory at Lode Lane in Solihull and the Jaguar plants at Castle Bromwich and Halewood could be at risk of industrial ‘outsourcing’.

Tata, as India’s second largest industrial group has massive, low-cost industrial facilities in the East. They could realise huge increases in profits* by simply moving the manufacturing base to a cheaper country. Naturally, Tata deny they intend to do anything of the sort, much like SAIC and Nanjing automotive claimed that jobs would remain at Longbridge just before they ripped out all of Rover’s tooling and shipped it to China. All that now remains at Longbridge are some bulldozed sites, an under-let ‘technology’ park and a tiny CKD assembly operation that barely seems worthwhile.

Only time will tell whether the Defender and it’s kin are lost from our shores and whether the lines at Castle Bromwich will fall forever silent. On past experience, I don’t think we’ll have to wait long.

*This depends on the global market for SUVs and heavy luxury cars not collapsing under the credit crunch and fuel price inflation.

Ford has sold the Land Rover and Jaguar marques to Indian company TATA for what seems like a paltry £1.15bn.
Jag and Land Rover represent 16,000 British jobs in Solihull and Castle Bromwich in the West Midlands and on Merseyside.

While no immediate changes are planned by TATA to the British workforce, no direct assurances are given about the future safety of jobs (at least not publicly).

TATA famously introduced the ‘worlds cheapest production car’ recently. They will now preside over the manufacture of some of the world’s most expensive cars.

It has been announced today that the Ford Motor Company has instructed Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and HSBC to sell off the Luxury brands of Jaguar and Land Rover.

Both Renault and Fiat have been speculated to be interested in buying the marques but have both denied any interest.

The private equity group Alchemy Partners has also denied a news report that they were lining up a £3bn ($5.91bn) offer for both.

Rumours of job losses and further plant closures in the West Midlands have been rumoured for both Land Rover and Jaguar in recent years.

The sale of Britain’s Rover marque in 2005 lead to the loss of around 6000 jobs in the West Midlands