Freight Rover
{{Use British English|date=May 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2023}}
{{Infobox company
|name = Freight Rover
|logo =
|type =
|fate =
|predecessor =
|successor = Leyland DAF
|foundation = January 1981
|founder =
|defunct = April 1987
|location_city = Washwood Heath, Birmingham
|location_country = England
|key_people =
|industry = Automotive
|products = Vans
|revenue =
|operating_income =
|net_income =
|aum =
|assets =
|equity =
|owner =
|num_employees =
|parent = Land Rover Group
|divisions =
|subsid = }}
Freight Rover was a British commercial vehicle manufacturer based in the Washwood Heath area of Birmingham, England.
History
File:1988 Freight Rover Sherpa 350 (15619068397) (cropped).jpg]]
File:MHV Freight Rover 250D 03.jpg
Freight Rover was created as a division of the Land Rover Group of British Leyland (BL) in 1981, creating a new single brand for BL's light commercial vehicle range, which had previously been sold under the Leyland and Austin-Morris brands - (although car derived vans such as those based on the Morris Ital and Austin Metro continued to be sold under either the Austin or Morris brands). Essentially Freight Rovers were face-lifted, badge engineered 1st gen Leyland Sherpas.
Under later company organisation changes, Freight Rover became part of the Leyland Trucks division of BL.
In 1987, the Leyland Trucks division of, what was by then, the Rover Group (following the renaming of BL in 1986), merged with the Dutch truck company DAF Trucks to form DAF NV (Which in the UK traded as Leyland DAF), which was later floated on the Dutch stock market. The new company has three plants; two truck plants Eindhoven and Leyland, and a van plant in Washwood Heath.
Following the collapse of DAF NV in 1993, the van plant was the subject of a management buyout and a new independent van company, LDV Group, was established.{{Cite news
| author1= David Bowen
|date= 23 April 1994
|title=Leyland DAF in pounds 8.6m rebound: Management buyout brings a change in fortunes – and name |work=Independent |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/leyland-daf-in-pounds-86m-rebound-management-buyout-brings-a-change-in-fortunes-and-name-1371905.html|access-date=15 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181026230141/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/leyland-daf-in-pounds-86m-rebound-management-buyout-brings-a-change-in-fortunes-and-name-1371905.html |archive-date=26 October 2018 }}{{Cite news |date=2 May 2002|title=Van firm in £1.5bn bid|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/1964088.stm |work=BBC News |access-date=15 January 2023}}{{Cite news |work=The Guardian |date=8 June 2009 |title=LDV: Countdown to collapse|url=http://www.theguardian.com/business/2009/jun/08/ldv-timeline |access-date=15 January 2023}}{{Cite web|author1=European Commission
| author1-link= European Commission
|date= 7 August 2009
|title=State aid NN/41/2009 – Rescue Aid for LDV Group Limited
|url=http://ec.europa.eu/competition/state_aid/cases/232269/232269_983777_18_2.pdf|access-date=15 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181026224157/http://ec.europa.eu/competition/state_aid/cases/232269/232269_983777_18_2.pdf |archive-date=26 October 2018 }}
Vehicles
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{commons category-inline|Freight Rover vehicles}}
Category:Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of England
Category:Manufacturing companies based in Birmingham, West Midlands
Category:Defunct truck manufacturers of the United Kingdom
Category:Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1981
Category:Vehicle manufacturing companies disestablished in 1987
Category:1981 establishments in England
Category:1987 disestablishments in England
Category:1987 mergers and acquisitions