I'm finally catching up and just got my photos posted. As you may know the there is no photography allowed on the tour so all I have are a few outside shots.

Tour date Oct 2, 2007

I first contacted the Oxford plane in March to inquire about a tour. They said to get back with them 3 months before we arrive. During this time they suspended tours and up until a week before our trip it did not look like we would get in. We drove up to Oxford from Ramsgate in Kent that Tuesday. We went directly to the meeting point in the old Morris tool building. We were about 45 min early and there was no one there. Our guide arrived about 30 min later along with 2 other guests. John our guide was ecstatic the there were only going to be 4 of us. He said we were one of the first groups since they re-started the tours and the small group would allow him to take us places larger groups could not.

We were told to don smocks and tape out rings to prevent accidently scratching any new MINIs. The tour begins in the T building were some every special MINIs and Minis are housed. We saw the 1 millionth also. From there we boarded a bus and entered the plant compound. The 2nd stop was where the body parts are welded together by the robots. We got so close there were sparks flying over our heads! The robots are self healing (can clean and replace their own heads) and can switch tool heads to do more than one task! We stared with a few pieces of metal and by the time we left the body was ready for the paint shop. There were 3 lines in production 2 for the MINI and one for the Clubman.

Next we went back to the bus to drive to the final assembly building. We were not allowed in the paint shop due to health reasons. When we entered the final assembly building John made us take note of a automated sign that shows how many cars were finished for the day it was at 520. The bodies arrive from the paint shop mounted on skids that have wooded floors, this is for the comfort of the line workers. We saw many parts added, wiring harnesses dashboards windshields engines and tires. All of the items in this building were made special for each and every car. They all come together just in time as the cars come down the line. Finally at the end of the line there was a MINI that had a hard time starting and we saw this MINI moved to a place where the workers can take a better look at it. When we left the counter was at 549!

If you took this tour more than 2 years ago you will not recognize the plant.

 

Cool story! Thanks for sharing!!

Did the workers look happy? I take it you were impressed!!!

I've toured the GM Corvette assembly plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky. It sounds very similar. It's really impressive to follow an auto through the entire build process.

 

wow, sounds like an awesome tour!! i wish i will one day be able to go.... btw, what color was the car that had a hard time starting? you could have very well saw my car being built as mine finished on the 5th!

 

Very cool. Thanks for the pictures and information. I'd like to take that tour sometime

 

Wow, very nice! Yes, thanks for sharing.
were you there for vacation and decide to do the tour?
now, where can i get a free Air fare & hotel ;-)

 

Did you order your MINI through Niello?

 

Great report and thanks for sharing! The skid marks on the wall with the Mini are hilarious.

 

I went on a tour of the BMW plant in Spartansburg where they were making Z3's and X5's. It is a facinating process as each component is brought in place for a specific vehicle on the line. Each car has a sensor on it as it moves along so the its progress is always a known quantity.

 

I want to tour the plant like the rest of us, but I wish I had the chance to tour when there were building the first generation MINIs.

I can see this plant being very much different from the Corvette plant, which I toured with my dad this summer. That place was awesome even though im not a huge corvette fan.

 

Great story - thanks for sharing. I'd love to be able to take the Oxford tour someday.

 

Very cool. Loved the pics.

 

Ditto <img>

 

If you have any additional pics, post em up

 

Way cool! I gotta get over there again one day.

 

I guess you're a real MINI lover if you plan your family vacation to go tour the plant and see the birth place of your MINI...

I pass no judgement... I've tried to convince my wife to go there for the last few years, but she's veto'd it. I was able to talk her into buying a MINI at least. All I can do is hope for next year.

 

why yes i did! is that where you got yours?

 

I will actually be in England on Monday. Can you just walk up?

 

yeah, all three of them! My MA's are no longer there though...

When you take delivery, shoot me a PM or something and we'll go for a quick run

 

You better call them on this short of a notice.

 

what do you mean?

 

I'll be in Oxford in June '08, does anyone know if hotels are avaialbale nearby at reasonable cost, or if MINI has any help in this regard.
Who do you call to get a tour? Rich_V in New York.

 

I don't know about hotels specifically....I know there are some reasonable ones in town and there is a tourist center that is very helpful. If you're looking for reasonable cost over hotel comforts, you can rent rooms from some of the colleges at Oxford University for a good price. I don't know all of the details but I know it's a good way to get a cheap room in Oxford. (Long before having my Oxford-born Mini, I spent 6 weeks studying in Oxford one summer - it's a great town, only made better with the Mini Plant!)

 

We are taking a Plant tour April 12th this year, and am really glad to have found this thread.

MiniEsq, to answer your question below is the contact information for arranging the Plant Tour. I made all my reservations through email.

TO-K Communications
++44 (0) 1865 825 842
++44 (0) 1865 826 750
oxford.Plant-Tours@bmwgroup.com

I do have a couple of questions. Is there a gift shop? I want to buy some goodies to bring back to the States. And second does anyone know if you can get a printed copy of your Production History from the Plant? I have the info from the dealer and from the OL, but want an official copy from the Plant too.