Vauxhall reaches big milestone
- The keys for the 750,000th van are handed over.
WORKERS at Vauxhall’s Luton plant have reached a significant milestone, with the 750,000th Vivaro-type van rolling off the production line.
In a celebration attended by the workforce and senior management from Vauxhall and Burnt Tree Vehicle Rental, the landmark Vauxhall Vivaro was handed over to Richard Metcalf, Burnt Tree’s managing director. Burnt Tree is the UK’s largest independent car, van and specialist vehicle rental, leasing and contract hire company.
The Vivaro is built at the Luton plant in a joint venture between Vauxhall and Renault which began in 2001. The factory produces all European specification low-roof derivatives of the Vivaro for the Vauxhall and Opel brands, as well as Renault models. The plant and associated agencies directly employ over 1,500 people in the Luton area – it is a significant contributor to the local economy and to Great Britain, as a major exporter.
Vauxhall is the largest manufacturer of commercial vehicles in the UK, building over 60,000 vehicles at Luton so far this year. In addition to Luton, Astravans are built at its sister plant at Ellesmere Port, Cheshire.
Mark Stein, Plant Director, said: “Over the last nine years, the success of the multi-award winning Vivaro has been down to the exceptional quality that our hard working and dedicated workforce builds into every example. This milestone is a mark of the continued strength of Vivaro in markets across Europe. We are very proud to build it here in the UK.”
Duncan Aldred, Vauxhall’s Managing Director, said: “As the biggest commercial vehicle manufacturer in Britain, Vauxhall is very proud to reach the three quarter million production milestone in Luton. Vauxhall retains its strength in the commercial vehicle market with great products, a dedicated sales team and a retail network with many years of experience in this specialist arena. I’m pleased that this special Vivaro has found a home with Burnt Tree, one of our biggest customers.”