Vauxhall boss says UK production key to the car brand

GENEVA, March 7 (Reuters) - The managing director of British car brand Vauxhall, which is being bought by Peugeot (Paris: FR0000121501 - news) from General Motors (NYSE: GM - news) , said on Tuesday the firm's British production sites were key to the brand's heritage and sales.

"A key part of the brand heritage is that there is UK manufacturing," Rory Harvey told reporters at the Geneva auto show.

Peugeot (Other OTC: PUGOF - news) -maker PSA has agreed to buy GM's European division, known as Vauxhall in Britain and Opel on the continent, prompting concerns about the future of the British brand's car and van plants.

Asked about whether the extra cost of importing more expensive euro-denominated parts had outweighed the benefits of cheaper exports since a Brexit-induced fall in the pound, Harvey said the net effect was negative. (Reporting by Costas Pitas; Editing by Mark Potter)