Car-making is back at Longbridge, but with only 18 on the production line
Aug 18 2008 By Duncan Tift
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In 1905 Herbert Austin founded the Austin Motor Company at Longbridge. Now, 103 years later, car production has once again resumed at the famous factory. Duncan Tift was the first journalist to see the production line moving again at the plant, now owned by China’s Nanjing Automobile.
Herbert Austin would no doubt approve of the fact that motor cars are once again being built at his beloved Longbridge and even though he may find the surroundings different, the vehicle numbers are far more 1908 than 2008.
Walking into Longbridge’s massive assembly plant is an eerie experience. Huge assembly lines that produced hundreds of thousands of cars a year stand silent and still.
The only operation is the production of small numbers of MG TF sports cars – small the operative word.
Despite the surroundings, this is a cottage industry, more akin to Malvern’s iconic Morgan than anything British Leyland conceived.
Trying to convey the scale of the operation when confronted with such a massive backdrop is difficult.
These figures may help put the operation into perspective.
Nanjing Automobile (NAC), which owns the plant and everything in it, is producing 45 cars a week – 180 a month and slightly more than 2,000 a year.
It employs 180 people at the 110-acre site, of which just 55 are employed in the logistics, paintshop and assembly operation.
Touring the facility yesterday there were just 18 people – 17 men – on the assembly line, which to say it moved at snail’s pace would be doing an injustice to gastropods.
However, to revisit all the pessimistic stories about the demise of the British car industry and the emergence of the new economies of India and the Far East serves no purpose.
This is what car production at Longbridge is – and what it will be for the foreseeable future. That final point is important, because for the first since perhaps the demise of MG Rover, the plant does have a future.
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There is a 500 special edition limited run of the MG TF LE500, of which almost 80 per cent is already pre-sold – showing there is still a market for the model despite it being 15 years old.
The cars are expected to be in showrooms from next month after which production will revert to the standard model.
The company is marketing them in the UK and Ireland and plans to expand to the rest of the EU at some point in the future. No word yet however, on when – or if – the car will go on sale in the United States.
Our guide yesterday, NAC spokeswoman Eleanor de la Haye was only too keen to explain about what is happening at the plant now and what the future holds.
“The workers are splitting their time between the assembly and the trim operations – one day they will work on assembly and then revert to trim the following day.
“All the models are hand-built and of the components used, 40 per cent of the parts are sourced from the EU and 60 per cent from China and the rest of the world,” she said.
The production line can take up to 100 cars at a time – approximately a fortnight’s production.
“This will ensure that every dealer can have one at the same time,” said Ms de la Haye.
So far 44 cars have been produced and are ready to transfer on to the MG dealer network, which has about 50 outlets around the country.
“We are looking at producing around 2,500 to 3,000 cars a year depending on demand,” she said.
“At the moment, we are looking at producing around 45 a week, which could rise.”
The cars themselves in their vivid orange create a striking contrast against the rather sombre background. However, the mood of the workers appears in keeping with the colour scheme – sunny.
Guy Hunter was a fitter with 15 years’ experience at Rover.
He is now working on the new assembly line and is delighted to be back doing what he enjoys most, making cars.
“These are hi-spec cars and it’s great to be back here making them again,” he said.
Mr Hunter, of Selly Oak, has worked for NAC for the best part of two years.
So what does he make of them as an employer?
“The company’s good and we’re enjoying ourselves here.
“It’s not too different from Rover,” he added.
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Lisa Ponter, of Bromsgrove, is the sole woman on the line. A Rover veteran with 13 years’ experience in the sewing shop and five years on the production line, she is also delighted to be back making cars.
“It was a bit strange coming back at first but now it’s very enjoyable.
“And I’m working again with a lot of the people who were with me when I was at Rover.”
Indeed, the company has had no difficulty in getting people to come and work for it.
Some have even turned their backs on the likes of Bentley in order to get their hands dirty at Longbridge again.
Something of which Mr Austin would no doubt approve.
Source : The Birmingham Post
