Tour of Plant Oxford - Brilliant !!

In early October, I went on a tour of Plant Oxford. It was almost 3 hours of brilliance !!!!

Plant Oxford produces 3 models of the MINI - Countryman, 3 Door Hardtop and the 5 Door. You must also understand that these 3 models are produced in both left and right hand drive models for markets in the Americas as well as Europe.
For the 3 Door Hardtop, both ICE and Battery Electric models are built on the same assembly line. There are approximately 800 people (per shift) working in Plant Oxford and a new MINI comes off the line every 67 seconds. Twelve hundred robots know what model is coming next and they will drop off one set of tools and pick up the required tools for the next vehicle when the next chassis arrives.
There are 3 primary sections in Plant Oxford. The first section is essentially the frame and body with doors attached after which they go to paint.
The first thing done after paint is to remove the doors to travel separately. (Doors will rejoin the bodies in the last 100 meters of the line). The painted frames proceed to final assembly wich includes installing wiring harnesses (and batteries), interiors and glass. Glass like windshields and entirely installed by robots that apply adhesives and place the glass in position - a rather remarkable dance. Engines (or in the case of the SE, electric motors).
In the last part of the line, the doors are rejoined and rematched to the correct MINI and about the last things to be installed are the wheels just before they are driven off to storage.

If you plan to be in England, I highly reccomend the tour of Plant Oxford. Well worth the price! Just a real pity that cameras and cell phones must be locked up before the tour.

 

My error. The Clubman not Countryman is made at Plant Oxford.



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This is great footage. It is a little dated. Note the tail lights are islands in the rear quarter and the headlights are mounted in the hood.

Still gives a good appreciation of what the plant tour shows. The experience of seeing it first hand is remarkable and so much more impressive.

I only wish it would have been possible to see the paint plant section.


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I did not (or don’t remember) seeing those tanks. I don’t know when the stuff is applied but I would think it would be after paint - and then carefully masked so as not to coat anything other than the undercarriage.


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There are certainly repositioning cruises from the US that dock in Southampton. I sailed on a Royal Caribbean ship from Miami to Southampton a number of years ago.
Most likely in the late spring/early summer.


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