MINI to celebrate the centenary of Cowley

[mab01uk]

MINI will be celebrating a centenary of car production at its factory in Oxford. BMW may call the factory ‘Plant Oxford’, but most car enthusiasts still refer to it as Cowley – the site that the first ‘Bullnose’ Morris rolled off the line in 1913.
The main centenary date will be 28 March. This is exactly 100 years after the first Morris was built. Plant Oxford will host a commemorative exhibition, and MINI wants to hear from ex-employees and the families of ex-employees, who would like to share photos and memories from the plant over the last 100 years.
Since 1913 tens of thousands of people – 26,000 at the peak in the 1950s and 60s – have worked on the site building over 11,000,000 cars. Cars built at Cowley have been a diverse bunch – with marques including Austin-Healey, MG, Wolseley, Riley, Austin, Mini, Vanden Plas, Princess, Triumph, Rover, Honda, and Sterling. Morris is the most associated with Cowley, but more Minis (classic and post-BMW) have been built at the factory.

More:
http://www.aronline.co.uk/blogs/news/mi ... of-cowley/

[Smiffy]

I think they should have a fly over by the 'Battle of Britain flight', seeing as Cowley produced planes in the second world war.........

[Old English White]

I'm not sure it is strictly true to suggest that Bullnose Morris production started on that site in 1913? My understanding is that Bullnose production in 1913 was at the old Military School in Hollow Way?

[youngres]

It's all nonsense, of course, the site was mere green fields until 1926, when Pressed Steel first broke ground there - plus there was no commercial connection with Mini until Pressed Steel was taken over by BMC in 1965

[foxy52]

It's all nonsense, of course, the site was mere green fields until 1926, when Pressed Steel first broke ground there - plus there was no commercial connection with Mini until Pressed Steel was taken over by BMC in 1965

....exactly.. BMW bullshit !!!!!......"the more thats said ,"the bigger the lie"....the more that people will believe you!!!!.. an extract from mein kampf....by adolph hitler......

[mab01uk]

I hardly think it is nonsense or BMW 'bullshit' to celebrate the Centenary of Car Production in Cowley, just because much of the original site is sadly now under a retail/business development park sold off by the short sighted British management of BAe, who then sold out for further profit to BMW just as soon as their 5 year committment for buying Rover at a knock down price from the government was up. The MINI Plant is still after all located in Cowley, Oxford, England and is currently undergoing a major redevelopment and investment programme for commencing Mk3 MINI production. I have a few friends that live nearby and work at the plant and they are proud of the history and wish to celebrate the fact that it is successful and has survived on the current site, along with their local community.

If Rover's previous owners BAe had not quickly razed most of the historic Cowley buildings to the ground via its property arm 'Arlington Securities' for their short term asset stripping gain, then perhaps there would now be more space available for BMW to expand UK MINI production further......

Can BMW & MINI Sell More Without Selling Out?
http://www.motoringfile.com/2012/06/15/ ... lling-out/

The 2014 F56: All You Need to Know About the 3rd Generation MINI:
http://www.motoringfile.com/2012/09/07/ ... d-to-know/

[Old English White]

just because much of the original site is sadly now under a retail/business development park

It isn't. The original (1913) site in Hollow Way is still there - the building is still standing.

To suggest that the BMW Mini factory and "the site that the first "Bullnose" Morris rolled off the line in 1913" are one and the same is incorrect. They are quite some distance apart.

I am not trying to take anything away from the success of the BMW Mini or the (MUCH bigger) impact William Morris made on the area or disagree that it will be 100years since car production began in Cowley. However, it was not always on the same site.

[mab01uk]

Start of Car Centenary Cavalcade at MINI Plant Oxford
40 Oxford built vehicles will assemble early morning of the 29th March at MINI Plant Oxford. The Bullnose and MINI will be waved off to go to Hollow Way where they will start an reenactment of when the first ever Bullnose left Hollow Way on 29th March 1913. However, instead of driving to London as in 1913, they will drive to Nuffield Place to join the Bullnose Morris Club's celebrations. The 40 vehicles will then leave MINI Plant Oxford to drive to the City Centre to form a static display for the day taking a route that will pass by as many significant places as possible, including the Nuffield Needle, old North and South Works, Hollow Way, the Nuffield Hospital and the Longwall garage.
http://www.visitoxfordandoxfordshire.co ... d=All&z=10

[slowboy]

....exactly.. BMW bullshit !!!!!......"the more thats said ,"the bigger the lie"....the more that people will believe you!!!!.. an extract from mein kampf....by adolph hitler......

oh dear !

[Tim]

Godwin's Law!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin's_law

Tim

[mk1]

Godwin's Law!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin's_law

Tim

Ha, ha, ha.