Part of the Browns Lane site in Coventry – famous as the former headquarters of Jaguar – is set to regain its status as an automotive manufacturing centre following the signing of a deal between CPP Global Holdings and the site’s owner, Advantage West Midlands.

CPP, the British specialist automotive group, plans to consolidate its existing Coventry facilities on the single 23-acre Browns Lane site within five years. This will see the company’s Bowler super-4x4s and Spyker sports cars built there – assuming the ongoing acquisition of Spyker reaches its expected conclusion – as well as CPP’s concept car and prototype work for outside automotive companies.

To date, CPP has been involved in prototype development for Aston Martin, Bentley and Rolls-Royce, amongst other marques. Brendan O’Toole, founder and co-owner of CPP, commented on the Browns Lane deal: “This is a decisive moment in CPP’s strategy to cement Coventry’s reputation as a world-class centre of automotive excellence. In conjunction with my business partner, Vladimir Antonov, we’ve successfully and significantly grown CPP over the last few years, with further expansion planned.

“Bringing together the group’s various businesses and facilities within a single, purpose-built location is possibly the most exciting part of the entire plan.” In January of this year CPP acquired Bowler and – just a month later – signed a memorandum of understanding for the acquisition of Spyker Cars from its holding company. That memorandum of understanding has now lapsed but CPP is said to remain confident of concluding the Spyker deal.

Coventry’s Browns Lane site was originally built as a WWII shadow factory for Daimler, but was leased to Jaguar in 1951. It remained Jaguar’s home until 2005 and was the site of all Jaguar production until 1998, when the then new S-Type was switched to Castle Bromwich.