Vauxhall backs UK
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5 Vauxhall has signalled its confidence in the UK motor industry by opening a new Engineering Centre in the Millbrook Technology Park based at the Millbrook proving ground in Bedfordshire. The .25rn centre will be the UK base for development of the X83, the mainstream panel van which will be built by Vauxhall and Renault as the replacement for the Trafic/Arena.
The X83 will go on sale early next year: it will be built (in Renault, Vauxhall and Opelbadged variants) alongside the Frontera 4x4 at Vauxhall's IBC factory in Luton—formerly the manufacturing base for the Bedford Rascal/Suzuki Supercarry. The
increase in manufacturing at IBC will create around 500 new jobs.
The Millbrook Engineering Centre was opened last week by Alan Johnson MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Trade and Industry who welcomed "a return by General Motors to research and development in the UK after nearly 15 years".
Vauxhall chairman Nick Reilly added that 'our objective was to get some engineering back into this country". The new facility will work together with the Opel Technical Development centre in Germany; it will also be host to Renault engineers for the final production development of the van.
Vauxhall's dual-fuel cars and vans are already converted at a facility in Millbrook, and the new Vauxhall Engineering Centre will be home to the development of the firm's alternative-Fuel and Fuel-cell vehicles.