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MINI is celebrating the Cowley centenary by setting off on a tour of all of the European production sites that have built the iconic Mini over the years.
AROnline:
http://www.aronline.co.uk/blogs/cars/mi ... nary-tour/

"The first classic Mini rolled off the production line in Oxford on 8 May 1959, and another 602,816 were to follow in the years up to 1968. During this time, the Oxford factory also built CKD (Completely Knocked Down) vehicle sets to be assembled in other locations. The tour undertaken by the five current MINI models will bring back to mind the cross-border nature of Mini production as it takes the cars – plus an accompanying fleet of media representatives and the MINI Community – to eight former production locations from 13 – 27 March. MINI fans can follow the progress of the tour on the specially launched website www.since1913.co.uk. A tracking function shows the MINI convoy’s latest stop-off as it charts its course across Europe. Detailed updates on the journey and stops along the way can also be found on the MINI Facebook page www.facebook.com/mini and online community forum www.minispace.com. The final destination on the tour will be Oxford – the home of the brand past and present – where 100 years of car production will be celebrated on 28 March."

"The tour of former production locations covers more than 10,500 kilometres (over 6,500 miles) and includes stops in Novo Mesto (Slovenia), the Italian city of Milan, the former production plant in Malta, the Portuguese town of Vendas Novas, Pamplona in Spain, Seneffe in Belgium, Amersfoort in Holland and the Irish capital Dublin. Only three of these eight locations are still home to car production today. But all of them count the classic Mini as an important part of their local industrial history, one that is about to roar back into the public consciousness. Looking further afield still, CKD classic Mini sets were also dispatched from Oxford for local assembly in many other parts of the world, such as Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Uruguay, Venezuela and South Africa."
http://www.since1913.co.uk/

Day 4 Malta











Message from Mini Seven Club Nederland
(posted on AROnline)
"Have you any idea the date and time you arrived at Seneffe Belgium and Amersfoort The Netherlands ?
I will try to send some Minis to you arrive."
HCJ van Brakel Mini Seven Club Nederland

Reply from ontheroad2cowley100
This whole celebration and tour is about the cars and the passion behind it. It’s a lot of fun talking to guys who built the Mini long time ago, and to see young people connect to the past by means of their cars (Minis or MINIs).
Let’s leave politics and marketing to the people good at that, and lets enjoy the celebration.
On-line tracking is provided through: http://www.since1913.co.uk for everyone wanting to meet up. Thanks HCJ van Brakel, we will be in both Belgium and the Netherlands on March 23rd. We don’t have the exact timing but will share it with you, as it becomes available through our driving progress.

Estimated arrival times:
Novo Mesto, Slovenia – March 13th, 03:00 pm
Milan, Italy – March 14th, 11:00 am
Marsa, Malta – March 16th, 05:00 pm
Vendas Novas, Portugal - March 20th in the afternoon
Pamplona, Spain - March 22nd in the morning
Seneffe, Belgium - March 23rd late morning
Amersfoort, Netherlands - March 23rd in the afternoon
Dublin, Ireland - March 26th late morning
Longbridge, UK - March 27th in the afternoon
Oxford, UK - March 27th early evening

"From Portugal, it was a long trip back to Pamplona. As this factory’s still very much in action building SEATs, following the company’s purchase of the factory from British Leyland in 1975, getting close for an iconic shot was always going to be a problem. After all, most modern factories look so dull.
That wasn’t the case in Belgium and Holland, though, as both Seneffe and Amersfoort are no longer active factories. Luckily, Belgian and Dutch enthusiasts drove out to meet the MINIs as they arrived at the factories, giving the four cars an extremely warm welcome. Some of the cars they brought along were pretty special, too.
After the Benelux stop-off, it was off to the Hook of Holland to catch a ferry for England. The convoy was travelling through the UK in order to get to Dublin to check out the Mini production site in Ireland. But first they stopped off in London for some inevitable iconic photography. After Dublin today (26 March, the cars return to the UK) for the final two locations, Longbridge and Cowley. Here are details of when and where – wonder if MG Motor UK will be expecting the convoy…"
Longbridge, UK – 27 March in the afternoon
Oxford, UK – 27 March early evening
http://www.aronline.co.uk/blogs/cars/mi ... nary-tour/

A Bullnose Morris Oxford, the first car to be manufactured by William Morris on 28th March 1913 and a MINI Roadster, the most recent car to enter production in 2012 are displayed to celebrate 100 years of car manufacturing in Oxford on March 27th 2013

"One hundred years ago the first ‘Bullnose’ Morris Oxford was built by William Morris just a few hundred metres from where the modern MINI plant stands.
With a weekly production of just 20 vehicles in 1913, the business grew rapidly and over the century 11.65 million cars were produced, bearing 13 different British brands and one Japanese. Almost 500.000 people have worked at the plant in the past 100 years and in the early 1960s numbers peaked at 28,000. Today, Plant Oxford employs 3,700 associates who manufacture up to 900 MINIs every day.
Over the years an array of famous cars were produced including the Morris Minor, the Mini, the Morris Marina, the Princess, the Austin Maestro and today’s MINI. At various stages in its history, the plant also built Tiger Moth aircraft, ambulances, parachutes and iron lungs.
Today, Plant Oxford is the heart of MINI production with the manufacture of the MINI Hatch, Convertible, Clubman, Clubvan, Roadster and Coupé. The new bodyshop represents the lion’s share of BMW Group’s £750 million UK investment programme, preparing the company’s manufacturing facilities for the next generation Mk3 MINI 1,000 new robots are currently being installed in this facility.
Among the special guests attending the opening of the exhibition was former employee Eric Lord who celebrated his 93rd birthday today having worked at the plant from when he was 20 years old in 1940 to his retirement in 1979."

A ride through Cowley history at car producer's centenary - Oxford Mail:
A ride through Cowley history at car producer's centenary (From Oxford Mail)

In 1959, the first Mini was produced, quickly becoming a cult car bolstering demand and in turn resulting in the workforce soaring to some 28,000 people. But the company ran into trouble, with industrial relations strained, so in the end the government pushed for a merger with Leyland in 1968. British Leyland was born.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21953578