Taxi Driver Online

Production of the body panels and chassis for the iconic London cab will be shifted to China in a move costing 60 jobs, it has been announced.

Manganese Bronze said the parts for its TX4 vehicles will be made in Shanghai after a key UK supplier's decision to cease production of a specialist painting process later this year.

Manganese's Coventry-based London Taxis International arm has manufactured the cabs since 1948, but it will now move to an assembly role.

Chief executive John Russell said: "Our UK consultation process is almost complete, which will lead to a smaller, lower-cost UK operation with a much greater level of supply from China."

The firm said its UK sales performance "continued to be adversely affected by current economic conditions", with the London market hardest hit.

"UK sales performance continues to be challenging as drivers' confidence to commit themselves to the purchase of a new taxi remains weak due to uncertainty about the general state of the economy," it said.

Manganese's underlying pre-tax losses widened to £8.1 million last year from £6.2 million in 2008, with UK vehicle sales falling from 1,951 to 1,724.

Volumes in the second half of the year were below the first half despite the impact of the Government's scrappage scheme, while the group has also racked up additional costs from the fall in the value of the pound.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpres ... M-xxXK93nA

" Manganese Bronze said the parts for its TX4 vehicles will be made in Shanghai after a key UK supplier's decision to cease production of a specialist painting process later this year. " What a load of pish blaming the spraying company, who do they think there kidding

So they lost £8.1 million on sales of 1724 vehicles. That is a loss of £4698 per car.

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Grandad,

Is that an actual loss or is it a loss on the profits from the year before

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

Well that's the TX well and truly fecked, it will now be like one of there toys work for a min and then into the bin

You're showing you're age Skip it's a long time since China produced cr@p unless the buyer required cr@p. Their standards have much improved over the years

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

What they last as long as 5 mins now

Yes skip they cant make cars.....their eyes are slanty

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Don't you mean slitty?
Should send the Duke of Edinburgh to oversee it.....

The year before they lost £6.2 million.

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Grandad,

Me thinks they have had their day...... Once a few more competitors come online, they will in time just be a nice nostalgic memory, unless they make them far, far more cheaper than they are at present.....

Well aint that just the least surprising news of the year?

LTI have took the pi*s for too long.Each model comes with an inferior engine yet the price goes up.I told one of the big cheeses that they needed to pitch the price very carefully when the TX4 was launched.Here in Derby I was one of the few suckers to buy a TX2 while the Classic E7 has taken over.So what did they do? They quoted me £35,000 for a Silver Auto.Instead I paid £33,000 for a Mercedes Vito including the lovely Derby yellow colour!
Management can blame other factors but the simple truth is that if they had put a Nissan engine back in then they wouldn't be in this position.End of.
Regards
Steve

Surely the amendment to the Equality Bill will mean many more WAVs will be needed, which begs the question why the massive panic.

Unless of course LTI now finally realise that folks have a choice.

I look forward to seeing a cheaper TX range.

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IDFIMH

I saw this coming a long time ago. As soon as there is any input from Japan / China, that's it. There's no hope for the British motor industry.

I think you'll find me and skip prefer our cars made in factories which kept the **** war machine going, one good thing about the nazis.....they couldnt half make cars

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin