Team Talk captured the moment our first Ostuni White car left the building and made its way to one very lucky customer.
What is Ostuni white? It’s a new pearlized colour coat, available on all our 22 model year cars, which will be major profitability driver for our business, as it comes with an additional £700 price tag.
Team Talk caught up with Steve Hughes, lead programmes engineer, in Paint AME, who oversaw the project, about how it feels to wave off this new kid on the block. Steve said: “The team has lived and breathed Ostuni White for the last two years, so there is a real sense of pride seeing the first car leave the building today.
“Not only have they overcome the challenges of the tricky tri-colour paint technology, needed to create the pearlized effect on the car, they have contended with Covid and more recently global part shortages- yet have delivered the best colour launch we’ve ever seen at Halewood.
“The car has come out green on all of its scoring metrics, which is unbelievable, considering this is the first Ostuni car out the door, not just at Halewood, but for Jaguar Land Rover, as a whole.”
Asked about whether the new colour will be a hit with customers, Steve, said: “We are sure our customers will love it as the pearlized effect is stunning and really sparkles in the sunshine- especially with all this great weather we have been having recently.
“Ostuni is also a premium option so will drive extra sales and is the start of an exciting new colour journey for the Halewood Paint Shop.”
Steve, who is moving into a new role in Vehicle distribution, said: “The team couldn’t have done a better job- not only have the mastered a tricky technology with the tri-colour paint, but they have also achieved results we could never have imagined, when we started on this project two years ago.
“Being stood here today, watching the car leave the building is the best ending we could have hoped for, as it’s surpassed all our expectations and seems like the perfect time for me to say goodbye and move into a new role in the vehicle distribution team.”
“The team has lived and breathed Ostuni White for the last two years, so there is a real sense of pride seeing the first car leave the building today."