Ford plans a drive to up its act in UK

FORD is planning a major overhaul of its British Jaguar and Land Rover plants to stem losses and improve quality.

Reports today said the Detroit-based carmaker wants to cut production of Jaguars to get rid of a worldwide backlog of unsold cars.

The Wall Street Journal says the company plans to announce production cuts as soon as tomorrow although job losses are not thought to be on the agenda. Its X-Type is said to be particularly slow to sell.

Ford is also in talks with unions to improve the quality of Land Rovers. The marque finished last in a recent US study of car and light-truck reliability and Ford wants to up its game.

The company is seeking to give Land Rover managers more flexibility in assigning their workers to new jobs and locations.

The restructuring details outlined today are expected to be the first of a wider overhaul of the luxury cars business.

The British top-flight brands are thought to have lost up to $500m (£274m) in the second quarter of the year.

The company's luxury division includes lossmaking Lincoln and Premier Automotive Group, which takes in Volvo, Aston Martin, Jaguar and Land Rover.