# Factory tours - anyone been to them?



## T.D.K (Mar 16, 2011)

I had a email from Vauxhall offering a tour of their Ellesmere port factory. As a bit of a Vauxall fan boy (for some reason ) I agreed,am just waiting on a friend to see if he wants to come along. 

Apparently they do a lunch and then a hour and a half tour of general assembly and the paint shop :argie::argie::argie:

As it's a three hour drive each way, was just wondering if anyone else has been to these tours and if they are a good day out.


----------



## steview (Sep 23, 2010)

Never have apart from cadburys world but I would love too then you can see the reason for the bad paint on new cars :lol:


----------



## nortonski (Jul 10, 2007)

My son & I did the Mini Factory Tour, it was great! Well worth having a looksee if you've never been before


----------



## DampDog (Apr 16, 2011)

Done a couple. 

Toyota Derby, very impressive very state of the art.

And years ago as a teenager "Rolls Royce" which was just an epic day. You could have left me in the "wood shop" all day. Day ended with a Spitfire buzzing the factory. Don't think I've seen one quite as low even at air shows. Our next door neighbour worked in the paint shop for 40 years, so we got the extended tour.


----------



## T.D.K (Mar 16, 2011)

Thanks guys,

Do they charge for the tour? Nothing mentioned on website or the email.


----------



## Ninja59 (Feb 17, 2009)

slightly ironic it is only the down the road for me :lol: but no i never have at all :lol:


----------



## Spannertail (May 18, 2007)

Done land rover when the current discovery was coming out. That was a very good day out thru work too so got paid which is always a bonus


----------



## Caledoniandream (Oct 9, 2009)

Done Ford Genk (Belgium) when they where building the first Siera's fantastic day out and showed you everything from beginning to the end. 

Done Ford Saarlois (Germany) use to deliver there plastic for the Escort bumpers, it's now the Kuga factory. impressive

Done Smart in Hambach (France) never seen anything like it before or after, fantastic thought out factory with all the manufactures/ suppliers having factories on-site (3M for the Thinsulate, Bosch etc) super clean, super effective, super quality standards, a job well done. 

Rover Longbridge.......................interesting but probaly the furthest away from the super factory of Smart. 

If you have a chance to see a car factory working, always do, you will be impressed, and if you have only a little bit pertrol in your blood, you will totaly love it!!!


----------



## wayne_w (Jan 25, 2007)

I worked at the Toyota factory at Derby in the Avensis assembly shop. It was fun when the 'Tour Train' came round...
Go like the clappers & keep dropping bolts etc or nice & slow so you end up 3 stations down..Small minds & all that, but it just broke the monotony of the shift up :thumb:
I can imagine though, to someone who hasn't seen a major production facility in all its glory, that it would be quite impressive.
I'm sure there's a video clip out there somewhere of the VW Pheaton assembly shop...Amazing, it looks like a car showroom, unbelievably clean & advanced looking.


----------



## CraigQQ (Jan 20, 2011)

We done it as a car club for the QQ and juke owners clubs....

night in the hotel before hand, then toured the factory... because we were a nissan car club(s) we got the extended tour.
amazing to see.. everything is so precise, like the smart factory above.. almost everything is manufactured on site by 3rd part suppliers and delivered at the exact needed time.

Nissan Sunderland is the most productive plant in Europe, the workers while not being rushed through their jobs at the same time are not standing about doing nothing at any time.

Sadly the tour is shortened now as they are keeping the LEAF build area secret (we seen the area for it, but production had not started there yet)


----------



## KugaStu (Nov 18, 2009)

Been to Dagenham when they made the Ford Fiesta MK3, fantastic day out and was amazed how big the site was. Would jump at the chance to go to another one.


----------



## Tricky Red (Mar 3, 2007)

I used to work at Renault in Maubeuge, France. Nice factory and had a go at working the line. Tough job, very interesting. 

They only made the Renault Traffic van and the 19 convertible 16v. Lots of rejected cars were sold off to staff for about half showroom price IIRC. Could rarely see what was wrong. Normally incorrectly matched interior to paint colour or similar I think.


----------



## G.P (Dec 13, 2011)

I've never done a tour as such but been in factory's that produce tyres & castings foundry's to clean room instrument displays through to the assembly line's. .


----------



## S63 (Jan 5, 2007)

BMW distribution centre Thorne
Bentley Crewe


----------



## Derekh929 (Aug 28, 2011)

Did mini factory Oxford and others was great


----------



## Derekh929 (Aug 28, 2011)

CraigQQ said:


> We done it as a car club for the QQ and juke owners clubs....
> 
> night in the hotel before hand, then toured the factory... because we were a nissan car club(s) we got the extended tour.
> amazing to see.. everything is so precise, like the smart factory above.. almost everything is manufactured on site by 3rd part suppliers and delivered at the exact needed time.
> ...


Spot on Craig 80 percent exported as well and built 6.3 million to date and invested 5 billion pounds in it very impressive stats and 1/3 of all uk built car done their


----------



## alexj (Apr 12, 2012)

T.D.K said:


> I had a email from Vauxhall offering a tour of their Ellesmere port factory. As a bit of a Vauxall fan boy (for some reason ) I agreed,am just waiting on a friend to see if he wants to come along.
> 
> Apparently they do a lunch and then a hour and a half tour of general assembly and the paint shop :argie::argie::argie:
> 
> As it's a three hour drive each way, was just wondering if anyone else has been to these tours and if they are a good day out.


Would be interested to get the details of that, is it open or invite only ?


----------



## T.D.K (Mar 16, 2011)

So I'm off to the factory on the 25th July...I literally can't wait!

I've always been facinated by car production and have seen bits on the news etc so will be great to see cars being put together.

Hopefully there's a big Griffin emblem somewhere there so I can take a pic of the GTC there.:thumb:

@alexj - PM sent...


----------



## addzSE (Feb 4, 2012)

Ive been to the Mini factory in Oxford, Ford in Dagenham, Dennis factory in Guildford where they build busses.

Hopefully going to visit the McLaren factory in my hometown as family know someone who works there


----------



## Tisgreen (May 18, 2012)

I did the tour of the Westfield factory years ago.... 

They even let us out in one.....


----------



## STEALTH K3 (Dec 29, 2006)

I went on the Audi R8 tour in April


----------



## Christiaan (Jan 14, 2011)

Have been 2 times to Autostadt Wolfsburg, Volkswagen. It's a theme parc  You can also take the factory tour. Last time I went there is a few yars ago. It's time to plan another trip with some friends!

http://www.autostadt.de/en/


----------



## G.P (Dec 13, 2011)

T.D.K said:


> I've always been facinated by car production and have seen bits on the news etc so will be great to see cars being put together....


Yep, its good to see how most things are produced, the army's tanks are hand made as are the rocket's..


----------



## VAG-hag (May 14, 2012)

I went on a tour of the Karmann factory in Osnabrook, (spelling?) Germany & loved it. They had a stash of very rare cars that they let us have a good look at, I even sat in the prototype Karmann Ghia which was nice!
It was aslo good to fire questions at the lead engineer who worked there during my cars production. In brief I was in car geek heaven!! :lol:

So if Vauxhalls are your thing I am sure you will love the trip like I loved mine, do it mate!

PS if its poop then at least its a road trip


----------



## Christiaan (Jan 14, 2011)

VAG-hag said:


> the Karmann factory in Osnabrook


It's Osnabrück. But is it open for public?


----------



## Scrim-1- (Oct 8, 2008)

I've been to the jaguar factory in bromich, fantastic experience deffinatly worth going to.


----------



## herbiedacious (Sep 27, 2010)

Every time l had a course at Jaguar (about six) we always had a factory tour and they always fascinated me, l would deffo advise having a look.


----------



## VAG-hag (May 14, 2012)

Christiaan said:


> It's Osnabrück. But is it open for public?


Thanks :thumb:

I am not sure if it is still open for tours etc.... I think it got bought by VW but im not sure. I was part of a group that went over in 2008


----------



## VW Golf-Fan (Aug 3, 2010)

Apparently Skoda do a factory tour in Prague which is supposed to be quite good.


----------



## Rundie (Oct 2, 2007)

I had a personal tour of the Morgan factory a few years back, the company I worked for supplied them with aluminium and our sales guy called in a favour and got me the tour. Superb experience, great people with such pride in what they do.


----------



## s29nta (Mar 9, 2013)

Been round Bentley motors at crewe that was OK and back in my school days went on a tour of a jcb plant,remember us lads were very impressed with the type of calenders the employees had pinned up round the place:thumb:


----------



## Puntoboy (Jun 30, 2007)

I did the Jaguar tour a few weeks ago. Just missed out on seeing my XF being built. It was in the paint shop at the time and they don't allow anyone in there.

It was a really good tour though. I thoroughly enjoyed it.


----------



## VW Golf-Fan (Aug 3, 2010)

Puntoboy said:


> I did the Jaguar tour a few weeks ago. Just missed out on seeing my XF being built. It was in the paint shop at the time and they don't allow anyone in there.
> 
> It was a really good tour though. I thoroughly enjoyed it.


Nice one mate!

Can you remember roughly how much the tour cost to go on & where exactly did it take place?


----------



## andystevens (Dec 12, 2011)

Did 4 tours at MG-Rover Longbridge a few years back & they were very good @ £8 each IIRC. One was when I had literally just collected my ZR-Express Van as pictured in my avatar.

Have done 3 at Landrover-Halewood & on 2 occasions I got to see my new Evoque going down the line & got photo'd (By LR photogropher) by the new cars on the actual line (Embrio of a new car lol) though these were £45 each.


----------



## Puntoboy (Jun 30, 2007)

VW Golf-Fan said:


> Nice one mate!
> 
> Can you remember roughly how much the tour cost to go on & where exactly did it take place?


It's free of charge and held at their main factory in Castle Vale, just off junction 5 of the M6.

http://www.jaguar.co.uk/experience-jaguar/factory-tours


----------



## VW Golf-Fan (Aug 3, 2010)

Puntoboy said:


> It's free of charge and held at their main factory in Castle Vale, just off junction 5 of the M6.
> 
> http://www.jaguar.co.uk/experience-jaguar/factory-tours


Top man, cheers! :thumb:


----------



## ColinEhm1 (Sep 5, 2013)

Done tunnocks biscuits but that's about it haha


----------



## RaceGlazer (Jan 10, 2007)

I've been round Ford (1987), Jaguar (2011), worked on BL Montego line (c. 1984), been to Westfield but the biggie, which I'm really looking forward to on 2nd October is Ferrari !!

They are all fascinating but this one, with the F12, 458 Specialie and La Ferrari going through with the 458 Spider, Cali and Classiche will be jaw dropping. Dont ask me how I wangled it...


----------



## john90 (Nov 22, 2012)

Have done the Porsche factory tour and Mercedes engine factory tour, both in Stuttgart. Porsche one was amazing and you come out of there really wanting one, anyone one, but the Mercedes one was the opposite it was like making washing machines, very impressive robots etc but no sole. Museum on the other hand was increadible.


----------



## andystevens (Dec 12, 2011)

RaceGlazer said:


> I've been round Ford (1987), Jaguar (2011), worked on BL Montego line (c. 1984)


Hi Mark, interesting that as I have a Montego lol. Still thinking about that water softener!


----------



## theshrew (May 21, 2008)

I've been on a couple.

Been around the TVR factory years ago i was only a kid at the time. 

The Leyland Daf Truck one in Leyland. 

Not a tour but have been round the Foden Trucks factory a few times - No wonder there no loger going, all I saw was people walking around with clip boards. All the times I've been i never saw anyone doing any work lol


----------



## RaceGlazer (Jan 10, 2007)

They had an interesting parking policy at BL Andy - arrive in one of their cars and get close to the entrance, any other marque and it was further away !


----------



## the_jj (Apr 7, 2010)

I went to the Aston Martin factory with one of my clients who’s cars I look after. It was amazing! It was really nice to see real craftsmanship at work but best of all its here in the uk! :thumb:


----------



## wayne10244 (Aug 24, 2008)

I've done Nissan Sunderland,ford halewood,plant catapiller plant peterlee as I work in the brake business


----------



## jomo (Jul 31, 2010)

Had an impromptu tour of TVR one day, i called by to see if they would give me some free colour flip paint to spray an RC car that i raced (cheeky i know).

Ended up having a solo 2 hour tour around the whole place and ended up in the paint store filling my pockets with paint, thinners and wet n dry paper lol.

When i got back to the car swmbo was not impressed with my haul at all, god know why?

Anyway he's how the RC car turned out!


----------



## Nicholas (Jan 9, 2012)

I've done the McLaren tour around the factory more like a hospital, that was very impressive, amazing what they do there and how they work.


----------



## VW Golf-Fan (Aug 3, 2010)

I've booked to go on the Jaguar Factory Tour next month. Quite looking forward to it to be honest.


----------



## putzie (Mar 19, 2012)

have done a few , did the tour of dagenham in the 80's when they was still making cars , fiestas and sierra i think ? , also Autostadt Wolfsburg 6 years ago , smart hambach and also brabus last year


----------



## Stokepotter (Sep 2, 2006)

I used to work for Michelin tyres in Stoke who regularly held visits back in the 90s, was fascinating in so much as you would not know you were in a tyre factory in many of the departments.


----------



## steve from wath (Dec 12, 2008)

car wise over the years 

nissan
aston martin
been to cosworth
several tours and drives on the test track of lotus
independant rally car works

with work

a few glass container factories
british aerospace saw the eurofighters being built
coca cola
various food manufactures

seen lots of things being made

electric hospital beds/venition blinds/cutlery/plastic pipes/sweets/newspapers

lots more as well


----------



## Dannbodge (Sep 26, 2010)

Ive had a personal tour of the countax factory in Oxford (They make garden tractors)


----------



## transtek (Mar 2, 2007)

Not been on any tours, but would love to see anyone's photos of the tours you've been on (if they allow you to take pics?).


----------



## CJ1985 (Feb 21, 2011)

Am going to Ellesmere port on 2nd oct, can't wait was meant to go on 26th june but got rushed to hospital on the 15th with appendaicitis and just didn't feel up to it. the lady who books them was great.


----------



## CzechRich (Jul 25, 2008)

Longbridge Back in the 90's
Morgan at Malvern
Audi Ingolstadt
Skoda Mlada Boleslav, (approx 30 miles north of Prague)
BMW welt (world) Munich
Porsche Experience Silverstone, drove a 911 Carrera S PDK


----------



## john90 (Nov 22, 2012)

john90 said:


> Have done the Porsche factory tour and Mercedes engine factory tour, both in Stuttgart. Porsche one was amazing and you come out of there really wanting one, anyone one, but the Mercedes one was the opposite it was like making washing machines, very impressive robots etc but no sole. Museum on the other hand was increadible.


Forgot, I've done Prodrive too if that counts!


----------

