Editing Rootes Group (section)

===World War II===
[[File:RAFBristolBlenheimWWIIColour.jpg|thumb|A [[Bristol Blenheim]] bomber]]
With the outbreak of [[World War II]], Rootes, like most other British car manufacturers, became involved with the production of armaments. In 1940, under the Government's [[British shadow factories|shadow factory]] scheme, Rootes built its massive assembly plant in [[Ryton plant|Ryton-on-Dunsmore]], near [[Coventry]], initially manufacturing aircraft, one of the first types being the [[Bristol Blenheim]]. Production included a [[Royal Air Force]] heavy bomber, the [[Handley Page Halifax]]. These were built at a shadow factory at [[Liverpool John Lennon Airport|Speke Airport]] near [[Liverpool]] and at [[Blythe Bridge]] in [[Staffordshire]] from 1941 to 1943. Rootes also manufactured military vehicles, based on the Humber and Commer.

Rootes had a rare lapse of business judgement shortly after World War II. When he visited the [[Volkswagen]] factory in [[Wolfsburg]] to evaluate it for war reparations, he opined that it – and the [[Volkswagen Beetle|Beetle]] – had no value.