- Plant’s first car was a Bullnose Morris Oxford, produced on 28 March 1913
- Total car production to date stands at 11,655,000 and counting
- Over 2,250,000 new MINIs built so far, plus 600,000 classic Minis manufactured at Plant Oxford
- Scores of models under 14 car brands have been produced at the plant
- Grew to 28,000 employees in the 1960s
- As
well as cars, produced iron lungs, Tiger Moth aircraft, parachutes,
gliders and jerry cans, besides completing 80,000 repairs on Spitfires
and Hurricanes
- Principal part of BMW Group £750m investment for the next generation MINI will be spent on new facilities at Oxford
The
MINI Plant will lead the celebrations of a centenary of car-making in
Oxford, on 28 March 2013 – 100 years to the day when the first
“Bullnose” Morris Oxford was built by William Morris, a few hundred
metres from where the modern plant stands today. Twenty cars were built
each week at the start, but the business grew rapidly and over the
century 11.65 million cars were produced. Today, Plant Oxford employs
3,700 associates who manufacture up to 900 MINIs every day, and has
contributed over 2.25 million MINIs to the total tally. Major investment
is currently under way at the plant to create new facilities for the
next generation MINI.
Plant Oxford Body Mounting Shop, photographed in 1925.
Over
the decades that followed the emergence of the Bullnose Morris Oxford
in 1913, came cars from a wide range of famous British brands – and one
Japanese - including MG, Wolseley, Riley, Austin, Austin Healey, Mini,
Vanden Plas, Princess, Triumph, Rover, Sterling and Honda, besides
founding marque Morris - and MINI. The Pressed Steel Company, part of
the Cowley operation, also built bodyshells for Rolls-Royce, Bentley,
Jaguar, MG, Standard-Triumph, Ford and Hillman, as well as tooling dies
for Alfa Romeo. At various stages in its history it has also built Tiger
Moth aircraft, ambulances, military trucks, jerry cans, components for
Horsa gliders, parachutes and iron lungs.
Plant Oxford Body Mounting Shop, photographed in 1925.
The
plant has produced an array of famous cars, including the Bullnose
Morris, the Morris Minor, the Mini, India’s Hindustan Ambassador and
today’s MINI. It also produced Hondas for a short period in the ‘80s, as
well as some slightly notorious models including the much-derided
(though far from unsuccessful) Morris Marina, the startling ’70s wedge
that was the Princess and in the Austin Maestro one of the world’s
earliest ‘talking’ cars.
Plant Oxford Erecting Shop, 1925, was used for gauging chassis components.
There
have been eight custodians of Plant Oxford over the past 100 years,
beginning with founder William Morris who owned the factory both
directly and through Morris Motors until 1952, when Morris merged with
arch-rival Austin to form the British Motor Corporation. Morris himself,
by this time known as Lord Nuffield, was chairman for six months before
retiring. He died in 1963. During the early ‘60s the plant had as many
as 28,000 employees producing an extraordinary variety of models.
A Morris MO Oxford body shell being prepared for the Rotodip rust proofing process.
In
1967 BMC became British Motor Holdings after merging with Jaguar, and
the following year that group was merged with the Leyland truck company
(which also included Triumph and Rover) to form the British Leyland
Motor Corporation. Nationalisation followed in 1974, the group
undergoing several renamings until it became the Rover Group in 1986.
Boss Graham Day was charged with privatising the company for the
Thatcher government, which was completed in 1988 with the sale to
British Aerospace. They in turn would sell the Group, which included
Land Rover, to BMW in 1994.
The Trim Shop, early 1950s.
BMW
Group invested heavily in Rover, deciding early on that a replacement
for the Mini would be a priority. But considerable headwinds, including
an unfavourable exchange rate and falling sales lead to BMW selling both
Rover and Land Rover in 2000, while retaining the Mini brand, Plant
Oxford, the associated Swindon pressings factory and the new Hams Hall
engine plant that was preparing for production.
Final inspection of Morris MO Oxfords, and MM Minors (1948 - 1952).
Today,
Plant Oxford is flourishing with the manufacture of the MINI Hatchback,
Convertible, Clubman, Clubvan, Roadster and Coupé. It is currently
undergoing a major investment that includes the installation of 1,000
new robots for both a new body shop and the existing facility in
readiness for the next generation of MINI. This represents the lion’s
share of a £750m investment programme, announced in the last year, which
also sees the significant upgrading and installation of new facilities
at the company’s Hams Hall engine plant and the Swindon body pressings
factory.
Early Morris Minor assembly, of the MM model (1948 to 1953).
The
Oxford plant has generated many billions of pounds for the nation, as
well as considerable wealth for many other countries around the world
during its 100 years, providing direct employment for hundreds of
thousands of employees and tens of thousands more through indirect jobs.
The plant has a long history of export success from the 1930s onwards,
Morris products accounting for nearly 30 percent of the nation’s total
exports by the mid 1930s. In 1950, the plant produced its 100,000th
overseas model – a Morris Minor – and by 1962 BMC was shipping 320,000
examples of its annual production of 850,000 vehicles to over 170
countries, Oxford contributing a major part of that total. BMC was the
UK’s biggest exporter in the early ‘60s, just as Morris had been in the
‘30s.
Robots bolting doors on in the bodyshop
Plant
Oxford has contributed to the industrial activities of a surprising
number of far-flung countries too, by producing tens of thousands of
cars for export in CKD (Completely Knocked Down) kit form for assembly
in overseas factories. Countries that have built cars from kits include
Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Cuba, East Africa, Ghana, Holland, Hong
Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Malaya,
Mexico, Nigeria, Spain, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Trinidad, Turkey, Uganda,
Uruguay and many others. By 1967 CKD cars formed 40 percent of BMC’s
exports, the kits assembled in 21 plants around the world. Morris
Oxfords, Minors, MGAs, Minis, Morris 1100s and commercial vehicles were
among the many models built in these distant factories. Plant Oxford’s
export record is equally impressive today, no less than 1.7 million
MINIs having been exported to over 100 countries since 2001.
Polishing line in the paintshop
The
plant has also had a positive and remarkable impact beyond car
production, too. Founder William Morris, later Lord Nuffield, was one of
the country’s most generous philanthropists. He manufactured iron lungs
at Cowley to donate to hospitals, while Nuffield Health, Nuffield
Farming Scholarships Trust and Nuffield College, Oxford University, were
all founded by Morris, whose philanthropic gifts are estimated to be
the equivalent of £11 billion at today’s values. The Nuffield Health
organisation flourishes to this day, as do Nuffield College and many
other Nuffield-founded philanthropic enterprises.
Engine marriage in MINI Plant Oxford's assembly hall
During
World War II the plant played a role, building military equipment that
included Tiger Moth aircraft. Parachutes, jerry cans and aircraft
sub-assemblies were also manufactured in large numbers. Cowley also
carried out over 80,000 repairs on damaged Spitfire and Hurricane
aircraft.
First new MINI off the Production line 2001
Plant
Oxford has employed a number of motor industry luminaries, besides
founder William Morris, including Sir Alec Issigonis, who designed the
Morris Minor and the Mini that were built there, Leonard Lord, who would
go on to run the British Motor Corporation, Eric Lord, who ran the
plant when it reached a production peak of 6,000 cars a week during the
‘60s, and plant director Sir George Turnbull, who went onto help Hyundai
become a manufacturer of own-design cars rather than licence-built
models during the 1970s. A number of senior figures in the motor
industry and in BMW Group today are former Plant Oxford employees,
including Herbert Diess, a previous MINI Plant Oxford director and now a
member of the BMW AG board of management responsible for development.
1st customer order of the current generation MINI Hatch in 2006
Today,
Plant Oxford forms the central element of BMW Group’s UK production
network, which includes the Hams Hall engine factory in Birmingham and
the Swindon pressings plant, formerly a part of Pressed Steel. The
network faces a bright future as the next generation MINI family enters
production over the coming years amid a trend of rising sales and
exports.
2 millionth MINI and Prime Minister David Cameron in 2011
The Cars
Many famous cars have been produced at Plant Oxford, several of them revolutionary. Here are some highlights:
‘Bullnose’ Morris Oxford 1913-26
William
Morris’s first car, actually named the Morris Oxford but known as the
Bullnose because of its distinctive, rounded radiator cowling in brass. A
bold series of price cuts saw Morris becoming the UK’s biggest selling
marque by 1924.
Morris Minor 1928-32
A small,
affordable car whose price Morris eventually cut to £100, ensuring
considerable popularity. Together with the baby Austin Seven, it made
the motor car significantly more attainable in Britain.
Morris Eight 1935-48
A
big pre-war and post-war hit, this barrel-bodied Morris developed
through several iterations and remained a common sight right into the
‘60s.
Morris Minor 1948-71
A major step ahead in
handling, steering, braking and roominess, the Alec Issigonis-designed
Minor was a huge success. The Minor was the first British car to sell
over a million, a milestone celebrated with a limited run of Minor
Millions painted in a dubious shade of lilac. It was sold as a saloon, a
semi-timbered Traveller estate, a convertible, a van and a pick-up.
Morris Oxford III 1956-58
The
‘50s Oxford was a family car staple of the Morris range, besides
continuing with the model name that had started Morris off. An
unremarkable car, except that it was the basis of India’s once
hugely-popular Hindustan Ambassador, Morris shipping all the Oxford III
tooling to the company in 1957. The Ambassador – or Amby, as it is
fondly known – remains in small-scale production today.
BMC Mini 1959-68
The
revolutionary Mini was another creation from Alec Issigonis, its
transverse, front-wheel drive powertrain and space-efficient packaging
redefining small car design. Go-kart handling soon inspired the sportier
Coopers and giant-slaying, headline-making competition performances.
Classless, fashionable, much-loved and widely exported, it introduced a
word to the English language and became Britain’s most famous and most
produced car with a total production volume of 5,387,862 vehicles. Plant
Oxford manufactured it for 10 years from 1959, its counterpart
Longbridge, Birmingham factory remaining the chief UK source until its
demise in 2000.
BMC 1100/1300 1962-74
The second
front-drive Issigonis model, essentially an enlarged Mini with
Pininfarina styling and Hydrolastic fluid suspension. The most advanced
small family car on sale at the time, it sold even faster than the Mini
to become Britain’s best-seller for 10 years. Launched as a Morris, it
was also sold as an Austin, MG, Riley, Vanden Plas and a Wolseley, and
was offered in two-door, four-door and estate bodystyles.
Austin Healey Sprite/MG Midget 1966
The
vast majority of Sprites Midgets were built at MG’s factory in
Abingdon, but in 1966 some were also built at Cowley. Arranging this was
easier than it sounds, a substantial part of the car already
manufactured there by Pressed Steel. The Mk 1 Sprite – aka Frogeye - was
a tiny, affordable sports car largely confected from off-the-shelf BMC
parts, and to great effect despite its low power. A 1961 facelift
produced more conventional styling – and an opening boot - and the
near-identical MG Midget version.
Morris Marina 1971-80
Much
derided at the time, but the Ford Cortina-bashing Marina was a top five
best-seller for years despite its simple mechanicals, and a mainstay of
the plant through the 1970s. Unusual for offering a coupe version that
was cheaper than the saloon, it was replaced by the lightly restyled
Ital in 1980, this car destined to be the last Morris. Like the Minor it
replaced, the Marina achieved sales of over one million.
Rover 800 1986-9/Honda Legend 1986-8
These
executive cars were unusual for being the progeny of an engineering
collaboration between Rover and Honda, the two sharing inner bodywork,
suspensions and some drivetrains while presenting unique body and
interior designs. Plant Oxford not only built the Rover 800 but for a
short period, the sister Honda Legend model too. The 800 was also part
of a major export initiative to the US in the mid ‘80s, under the
Sterling brand name. This much deeper collaboration furthered a fruitful
period in which Japanese just-in-time and continuous improvement
techniques were introduced to the plant, eventually leading to
significant gains in vehicle build quality.
Rover 75 1999-2000
The
first and only Rover wholly developed under BMW ownership, the
elegantly styled 75 saw a wholesale improvement in both quality and
dynamic standards for the brand. Production transferred to Longbridge,
Birmingham, after BMW sold Rover in 2000 and ended prematurely in 2005,
although variations of the model live on in China as Roewes and MGs.
MINI 2001-06
The
all-new MINI recalibrated the Mini as a larger, vastly more
sophisticated premium supermini in an evolution that defined a new
market, just as the original car did. Widely praised for styling that
honoured its predecessor with contemporary and hugely appealing flair,
it also won plaudits for its handling, imaginative interior design and
build quality. The MINI also introduced personalisation on a scale never
before seen in a small car, firing the gun on a trend now widely
copied. It exceeded its sales targets from the start – unlike the
classic Mini – and was joined by a Convertible in 2002.
MINI 2006 to date
Extensively
redesigned for 2006, the second-generation MINI provided more interior
room, increased aluminium content, to reduce weight, and highly advanced
new petrol engines manufactured at BMW Group’s Hams Hall plant in
Birmingham. It was also one of the earliest models to receive engine
start-stop technology. The range has grown extensively to include the
Clubman estate, with its radical door configuration, the sporty two-seat
Coupé and Roadster, the Clubvan and the Convertible.
