LOSSES at car maker Vauxhall spiralled last year from £115m to £178m.
But the fall deeper into the red is not expected to impact on the company's Ellesmere Port plant, which employs 4,500 staff making Astras and Vectras.
The site is now a key part of the European manufacturing operations of US-owned parent company General Motors, after a shake-up resulted in the plant now reporting directly to the European HQ in Zurich.
A spokesman said today: "We have seen the results of our investment in Ellesmere Port."
UK losses increased for the third year running, despite attempts to cut costs and return the business to profit.
However, the spokesman said: "The loss in 2004 includes an exceptional write down of £32.1m relating to a number of measures aimed at improving long-term profitability.
"The Vauxhall Motors accounts should be viewed in conjunction with the results for GM and GM Europe in
2004. This reflects Vauxhall's role as part of the wider business operations for GM."
GM's European losses more than doubled to £419m, but that was against a background of axing 12,000 jobs, mostly in Germany.
Production at Ellesmere Port was halted temporarily last October, when protest strikes in Germany over the job losses hit supplies.
The latest accounts filed by Vaux-hall at Companies House also revealed that former UK managing director Kevin Wale took a £99,500 pay cut, although he received partial compensation with shares from a long-term bonus scheme worth £67,847.
Mr Wale left in May to run GM's Shanghai operations and his job has been abolished as part of Zurich's extended control.
neilhodgson@liverpoolecho.co.uk
