Ryton plant

The Ryton plant is a former car manufacturing plant located in Ryton-on-Dunsmore, Warwickshire, England. Developed by the Rootes Group as a shadow factory in 1939 to produce aircraft engines for World War II, post war it became the headquarters of the group. Taken over eventually by Peugeot, it shut in 2006, and was subsequently redeveloped by Trenport Investments Ltd for industrial use in March 2007. The plant, however, met its final demise in November 2007 when it was completely demolished.

Under plans developed by the Air Ministry in 1936, the Shadow factory plan headed up by Herbert Austin, aimed to increase production capacity in the British aircraft industry. The plan required the construction and development of nine new factories, and investment in the expansion or the capability of the United Kingdom's existing motor vehicle manufacturing plants, to enable them to more quickly turn to aircraft production.

Situated between the A45 (on the north-east) and the A423 (on the south-west) in Warwickshire, the factory became operational from 1940.

After the war the site became the headquarters of the Rootes Group, but when the organisation entered financial difficulties in the 1960s the company (in stages) and thus the plant were taken over by American car-making giant Chrysler. Chrysler itself entered financial difficulties and sold the plant, along with the rest of its European operations for a symbolic US$1.00 to PSA Peugeot Citroën in 1978.

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