I'm off to sunny England next month and wondered if anyone has ever heard of public tours at the MINI plant in Oxford? Seems like a fun idea. If you have any contact ideas, please let me know. Thanks!

 

There's another thread here at MCO that covers the Oxford Plant tour, in photos done by a Brit. I think if you go to this link, you'll find details about arranging one for yourself.
Oxford Plant photos at MINI2

 

Thanks, Ken - very informative. Still can't figure how to reach the Oxford plant, though...

 

I don't think there are tours of the plant. The thread on MINI 2 was of a tour of the plant the day is was officially open, done for the media only.

 

The "BMW-Oxford Plant", as it's now called, is located in Cowley -- an industrial suburb of Oxford. From what I've been able to find out, it looks like only media and local UK Mini club tours have been arranged to date and the later ones prohibited cameras on the assembly line. I've also read that public tours might be started in 2003.

I'd suggest that you add to the posts on tours over at MINI2. I prefer MCO but it seems like MINI2 gets more English readers and questions about tours might be answered quicker there. Maybe search the Internet for the Oxford tourist office. I have to believe that they'd want to promote plant tours.

Also, there's interest in a "pick-up-a-MINI-at-the-factory program" being started. I cannot find details about when this might happen.