Standard-Triumph £2m bid

The directors of Standard-Triumph International yesterday announced that agreement in principle had been reached with Hall Engineering (Holdings) with a view to acquiring the motor car body building and die-making sides of their business. This will involve a cost of some £2m. A statement issued by the company said factories at Speke (Liverpool), Dunstable and Basildon, in Essex were involved.

The Speke factory is at present engaged on the production of body panels for the Triumph Herald. This proposed purchase is in line with the policy of the directors of Standard- Triumph to expand the body pressing side of the business, the statement said. The directors emphasized that if the conversations reached a satisfactory conclusion it would be their intention to continue to reserve capacity for existing customers of Hall Engineering and indeed to expand the body pressing and die-making businesses outside the Standard-Triumph group.

It was announced last week that Standard-Triumph were having talks with Alforder Newton of Hemel Hempstead with a view to Standard-Triumph taking over that company.