LDV Group

This article is about the company that manufactured LDV vans from 1993 until 2009. For the company that has manufactured LDV vans since 2010, seeMaxus.

LDV Group Limited,formerlyLeyland DAF Vans,was a Britishvanmanufacturer based inWashwood Heath,Birmingham.Historically part ofRover GroupandLeyland DAF,it was later a wholly owned subsidiary ofGAZ.Owing to theglobal recessionand a lack of long-term investment, production was suspended at the LDV factory in December 2008.

LDV Group

Industry	Automotive
Predecessor	Leyland DAF (DAF NV)
Founded	April 1993(April 1993)
Defunct	October 2009(October 2009)
Successor	Maxus (SAIC Motor)
Headquarters	Washwood Heath,Birmingham,England, UK
Products	Vans
Owner	GAZ(2006-2008)
Number of employees	850 (2009)
Website	www.ldv.com

After a series of failed rescue attempts, theintellectual propertyrights were sold by administratorsPricewaterhouseCoopersto Eco Concept in 2009, who sold them toSAIC Motorin 2010, with itsMaxussubsidiary commencing production in China in March 2011.

History

High toppedLDV Convoyfrom 2000

Low toppedLDV Convoy

LDV Cub

LDV Pilot

2005LDV Maxus2.8 CDi 95 SWB

LDV was formed in April 1993 as Leyland DAF Vans, following amanagement buyoutbacked by3iofDAF NV'sLeyland DAFvan manufacturing division, following the Dutch company being placed in administration.It was rebranded as LDV in January 1994.

Prior to its merger withLeyland TrucksandDAF Trucksto formDAF NV(which in the UK traded asLeyland DAF) in February 1987, it was part of theBritish Leyland/Rover Groupempire, and was latterly theFreight Roverarm of theLand Rover Groupdivision.

In December 2005, after going into administration,LDVwas bought by groupSun Capital 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 1,000 vans per month would put them well above break even point.

GAZacquired LDV on 31 July 2006.FormerFord of EuropeexecutiveMartin Leachand formerAT Kearneyexecutive Steve Young were appointed to run the business and 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 it's plant inNizhny Novgorod(Russia), with 50,000 as an initial volume.There were also proposals to export the GAZ 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 and commitment, production was suspended at the LDV factory in Birmingham in December 2008. After theBritish Governmenttried once again to save the company by agreeing to pour in £5 million of grants to enableMalaysia's WestStar Corporation to purchase LDV. WestStar failed to secure financing.

Theintellectual propertyrights were sold by administratorsPricewaterhouseCoopersto Chinese firm Eco Concept on 15 October 2009,who sold them toSAIC Motorin August 2010, withMaxuscommencing production in China in March 2011.

Coincidentally, PWC were the same group of administrators who dealt with the demise of theMG Rover Groupin 2005, the descendant of the original company Leyland Trucks was a part of. Also, SAIC Motor currently owns the rights to most of MG Rover's assets, reuniting the two companies.

Vehicles

LDV produced a range of panelvans,pick ups and minibuses, all available with various modifications and specifications. LDV's main customers were large British corporations, such asRoyal Mail,National Grid plcand many otherutility companies,which were politically persuaded to buy British built vehicles.

200/400 Series The plant produced what was known as the 200 and 400 Series vans, inside the plant these were known as the K2 and 210 respectively. After the factory went into receivership in 1993, and a management backed buyout headed by Allan Amey, the 200 and 400 were given a facelift on the existing chassis, and renamed Pilot and Convoy.

Pilot/Convoy

Until 2006, LDV produced thePilotandConvoy,derived from theBritish LeylandSherpa, and developed considerably throughout the 1970s to 1990s, and which were a common sight in the United Kingdom.

Cub

Between 1998 and 2001, LDV sold the Cub, which is a rebranded version of theNissan Vanette Cargoafter LDV entered into an agreement withNissan.Production stopped in 2001 when Nissan replaced the Vanette Cargo with a rebranded version of theRenault Traficcalled the Nissan Primastar, which is produced inLuton,England andBarcelona,Spain. LDV, having struggled to sell the Cub, opted not to continue the agreement with Nissan.

Maxus

The last range of vans, theMaxus,was introduced in the end of 2004. The Maxus was originally planned as a joint venture withDaewoo Motorsof South Korea. Daewoo however, went into receivership in November 2000, before the project came to fruition.

LDV subsequently acquired the exclusive rights to the van fromGeneral Motors,who had taken over Daewoo, and purchased the existing tooling and shipped it all to the Washwood Heath factory in Birmingham from theDaewoo Plant in Polandwhere the van was originally intended to be built.The Maxus was fitted with direct injection, common rail, diesel engines supplied byVM Motori.

Sponsorships

LDV sponsored:

• Aston Villa Football Clubfrom 1998 to 2000
• St Mirren Football Clubfrom 2000 to 2003
• theEFL Trophyfrom 2000 to 2006

External links

Media related toLDV vehiclesat Wikimedia Commons