David Brown Automotive (www.davidbrownautomotive.com) has moved its headquarters — and the production of its Speedback GT and Mini Remastered niche luxury vehicles — into a new 18,000ft² facility at Silverstone Park.

It is the third company using high-tech manufacturing processes to move into industrial units that are part of a 125,000ft² speculative development at the estate, which has Enterprise Zone status.

Company founder David Brown explained that a number of factors were behind the decision to move to Silverstone Park: “It had to be somewhere that gave us the right kind of customer-focused ability and a pedigree of low-volume niche automotive manufacture — plus Silverstone Park had the best size of premises for what we needed, and it’s just a great place
to be.”

The skill set of companies in the surrounding Silverstone Technology Cluster also had a bearing.

“These are very rural surroundings; it amazes me that, hidden down a country lane, you can find a company with 10 five-axis CNC machines capable of making anything you need. The region is clearly full of skilled technicians and companies with great manufacturing abilities.”

The Speedback GT and Mini Remastered were both inspired by the 1960s, and overseas buyers account for around 70% of sales. Mr Brown hopes the company can — in the not too distant future — produce 10 Speedback GTs and nearly 100 Mini Remastered vehicles per year.

It takes 8,000hr to handcraft a Speedback GT before it is sold for £495,000 (excluding taxes).

“With the Speedback GT, we built a newly designed car reminiscent of the 1960s, but incorporating all the technology and functions that you take for granted in a modern car.”