The Ellesmere Port plant in the northwest of England — now the manufacturing home of the Vauxhall Combo Electric compact van and its Stellantis siblings under different brands — has been building cars and vans for 60 years, with the first Vauxhall Viva rolling off the production line in June 1964.

Ellesmere Port celebrates its 60th anniversary from first Vauxhall Viva

The plant opened in 1962, with the first models of the popular family car being manufactured in 1964. Since the Viva, it’s been the manufacturing home of the Vauxhall Chevette and seven generations of the Vauxhall Astra, producing more than five million cars.

Since 1970, the Ellesmere Port plant has undergone significant modernisation, including adding a battery assembly shop, upgrading the General Assembly area, and relocating the bodyshop. These changes have resulted in a 60% reduction of the original total site area, which now occupies 118,000m2.

Keith Tabiner, who was on the production line at Ellesmere Port in 1964 when the first Vauxhall Viva was produced, was present at the 60th anniversary celebrations. His three sons, Mark, Mike, and Phil, also work at Ellesmere Port today, meaning that the Tabiner family has a combined 152 years of employment at the plant.

Ellesmere Port celebrates its 60th anniversary from first Vauxhall Viva

Following a £100 million investment by brand owners Stellantis, the Ellesmere Port factory is now the UK’s first EV-only volume manufacturing plant, producing the Vauxhall Combo Electric van alongside the Citroen e-Berlingo, Fiat e-Doblo and Peugeot e-Partner. It’s the only facility in the UK.

Vauxhall’s plant in Luton, which opened in 1905, will produce medium electric vans for Citroen, Fiat, Peugeot and Vauxhall from 2025.

“We are excited to mark such an impressive milestone, celebrating production that began sixty years ago with the Viva, and now continues into the future with electric vans from Fiat, Citroën, Peugeot, Opel and Vauxhall,” said Diane Miller, Ellesmere Port plant director. “For six decades, Ellesmere Port has been a central pillar of the local area, and whose people have continually taken great pride in their work at the plant to provide millions of vehicles for the UK and beyond, and now continue to do so in the transition to a more sustainable future.”

Maria Grazia Davino, group managing director at Stellantis UK, added: “It is gratifying to celebrate six decades of vehicle production at Ellesmere Port, which continues to produce the latest generation of electric vans. Stellantis is the only OEM producing vans, including electric vans, in volume in the UK, and I would like to share my congratulations to the employees at the plant, who continue to work incredibly hard to produce the vehicles that will help to electrify businesses across the UK and in the more than 20 countries to which we export electric vans.”

Phil Huff
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