Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

Rick · Site Admin Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22782 Location: UK

Have you ever visited a car (or other vehicle) factory? Perhaps on an organised visit, as a supplier, or an employee?

RJ
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ukdave2002 · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 4235 Location: South Cheshire

Visited the Vauxhal plant at Ellesmere Port a few times; father in law used to run the Factory Service Station (which was located in the old hangers where your Dodge was once stored) and then the paint shop. Went there once when they had started V6 engine production...I think its all just assembly now.

Dave

lowdrag · Joined: 10 Apr 2009 Posts: 1600 Location: Le Mans

Ford Dagenham in 1970 to pick up a car for a carnival display and three times at Jaguar over the years, the last time in 1996.

D4B · Joined: 28 Dec 2010 Posts: 2083 Location: Hampshire UK

Visited the Bimota Factory in Italy back in 1997 iirc, we had a full factory tour one day, and then the factory allowed us to ride the latest bikes at Misano.....

Here is a pic of the Bimota I owned at that time,

and two pictures from that day, more with a wider view will follow if I can find any.

Pic from Misano, that's me in the red/yellow leathers getting ready to board the SB8R

Unable to find my factory photos, here are some others of the factory, which look very familiar:

Rootes75 · Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2015 4:54 pm Post subject:

Whilst at College about 20 years back we were taken to Fords Engine Plant at Bridgend. It was very good from what I recall.

D4B · Joined: 28 Dec 2010 Posts: 2083 Location: Hampshire UK

Whilst working for Brown Brothers (when they supplied car parts as well as paint) my colleagues and I were treated to a fantastic tour of the Champion Spark Plug Factory. The surprise for me was to see the production line split after the ceramics and electrodes were assembled, and one line labelled as Champion, the other as Unipart. Then as we turned a corner, there was Nippon Denso doing some sort of research / exchange of knowledge!!

BigJohn · Joined: 01 Jan 2011 Posts: 954 Location: Wem, Shropshire

In the late 80's I went on a IRTE trip round Rockwell Axles at Kirkstall, Leeds whilst on my Police advanced vehicle examiners course. The forge hammers made the ground shake and the river outside was brown from the dust rusting. They gave me a tie, if I'd have had to work there I would've used it as a ligature.

Penguin45 · Joined: 28 Jul 2014 Posts: 384 Location: Padiham

V8 Nutter · Joined: 27 Aug 2012 Posts: 601

Back in 1993 the company I used to work for supplied and fitted most of the production line for Jaguar at Browns Lane. This was when Jaguar belonged to Ford. It was the first major investment since the early 60's when Jaguar bought the obsolete Standard Triumph line. I also went to Aston Martin at Gaydon and Land Rover.

In the early 70's the company I worked for made the transfer machines for machining the engines for Triumph and Ford Australia.

I did my apprenticeship at a company that made machines for forming the old steel bumpers. My mate went on the installation at Longbrige, he thought the orange Mini bodies coming down the line were a new colour. He found out later they were rusty. They had been stored in the open during a strike, they were never cleaned up, just painted over the rust.

Riley Blue · Joined: 18 Jun 2008 Posts: 1751 Location: Derbyshire

I've been round Volkswagen at Wolfsburg, to Audi at Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm and to both their motorsport departments, and to SEAT's too - spot the common factor here...?
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David

1963 Riley 1.5
1965 Riley 1.5

BigJohn · Joined: 01 Jan 2011 Posts: 954 Location: Wem, Shropshire

Ashley · Joined: 02 Jan 2008 Posts: 1426 Location: Near Stroud, Glos

I've done Rolls-Royce before it was sold to the Germans, Morgan and various restorers.

Ronniej · Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2015 9:41 pm Post subject: Ever visited a car factory?

A couple of years ago I visited the Morgan factory in Malvern on a conducted tour. I was particularly fortunate as I was scheduled to go round with another group but they failed to show. I thought they were going to cancel the booking but I was given a personal tour.
I imagine many of the members of the Forum may already have done this tour but if you haven't put it on your bucket list.
The factory has an image of being very old fashioned and it is true that most production methods are very traditional but the Aero 8 (which I don't particularly like) has a chassis built from a modern alloy using very advanced techniques.
On completion every car is tested, not on a rolling road, but by simply being taken on a test drive. I imagine there may have been quite a few applicants when that job was advertised!!
As a bonus, I am told the town of Malvern is very attractive but to be honest I did not see much beyond "The Works" as the factory is referred to locally.

Ellis · Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2015 11:48 pm Post subject: Re: Ever visited a car factory?

Keith D · Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2015 1:06 am Post subject:

I visited Ford in Dagenham in 1959 during my last year at school. They were building tractors there then (Or at least that's what we were shown!) It was certainly a massive complex.

During a visit to the UK in 1996 I went on a tour of Jaguar in Coventry and saw the assembly of the XK8 . (Lovely cars - I'd like one now!)

I worked for a while at Invacar Ltd, makers of Greeves motorcycles in Thundersley, Essex back in about 1966.

I successfully applied for a design job at General Motors Holden at their Fishermens Bend Plant, in Port Melbourne around 1970, but for some reason long forgotten, I didn't accept.

Keith