Workers laid off by Daewoo could get their jobs back from the new owner.

Staff numbers at the car manufacturer's technical centre in Worthing fell from 750 to 146 before its sale to Tom Walkinshaw Racing last month for a reported £4.5 million.

TWR's engineering director, Phil Harding, said the firm had been inundated with interest from former employees wanting to come back.

While staffing levels would not rise "at the moment", some could be re-employed as the business expanded.

He said: "This is a great acquisition and gives us a chance to take a great opportunity with a site like no other in the UK.

"Sites like this don't come on to the market very often and we have secured a real gem.

"We have been inundated with lots of people who still live there who want to come back and work there and we regard that as an exciting pool of talent and as we secure work there is good opportunity for growth as well.

"That growth depends on customers giving us work and I can't say emphatically what the growth will be as contracts are still being negotiated but I would like to think it's going to happen in the short term rather than the long term."

TWR will be using the site to broaden its appeal to worldwide motor manufacturers as the site offers them facilities to test and develop new models.

Styling studios, prototype manufacturing, design and engineering testing will all take place.

The company manufactures cars in Sweden and Australia.

Mr Harding added: "The Worthing site gives us a major selling opportunity and will broaden our portfolio as it has more extensive facilities making for a great opportunity."