Vauxhall Motors Ltd

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

I thought that I ought to start a new thread about Vauxhall's Dunstable Plant.

In 1937, Vauxhall Motors Limited built a new Engineering facility at Luton, which meant that a considerable sum was invested in what was very up-to-date machinery and facilities. However, although these arguably lagged behind the impressive facilities at Rüsselsheim, the Company were so impressed with the new department’s facilities that they commissioned a small book with photographs and information on new designs such as independent front suspension that had originated in Detroit and been adapted by Opels. This book proved so popular that the first printing in the spring of 1938 was duplicated with more copies being available. The department went on to design, for instance, a special “flat” tank engine for the A.22 “Churchill” heavy tank, and other war projects. In 1938, a further 10-acre expansion enabled Vauxhalls to build 60,111 vehicles: 35,415 cars and 24,696 commercial vehicles with 8,589 employees. Exports totalled 20,271 units out of the British total of 84,000. Vauxhall’s workforce represented 18.5% of Luton’s, with another 10,000 or 12% of the population reliant on those jobs in turn.

Vauxhall Motors Limited also acquired vacant land in nearby Dunstable in 1938,a short distance away from the AC-Sphinx Sparking Plug factory, as the precursor to building a new dedicated Bedford truck plant, on the lines of Brandenburg Plant. The reason quoted was that the Luton plant apparently had logistical problems, being unable to cope with expansion, though nothing was said about the true Government supported intention as an equivalent of a “Shadow Factory”. The new site was intended for purely truck production, but no building took place until 1940, when buildings were erected under the auspices of the Ministry of Supply for the “Churchill” Tank factory, and then from 1943 refurbished military vehicles for the Ministry of Supply as did Limited’s Cleckheaton facility. Luton also produced thousands of military trucks from 1940, and used the Limited-owned Hendon Plant in addition for assembly and repair works. It is suggested that this proves that the purpose of the acquisition at Dunstable was as part of the government efforts to ensure that essential production was placed away from London and future air raids. The land was finally used to build a new dedicated Bedford truck plant in 1953, the largest truck plant in Europe. A fortiori, in 1940 the Ministry of Supply arranged for Delco-Remy & Hyatt to relocate their electric motor and other essential war work transferred from London to premises in Dunstable because of concern at air raids on production.

Under the Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Regulations, a code was stamped on all reconditioned engines so that any defective units or assemblies could be traced to their source. A code reference number consisting of symbols, indicating the repairer, followed by numerals indicating the month and year of overhaul.

D.Ds.M.E. of Commands were to allot a serial number to each Command workshop in their Command which used the above reference letters. The appropriate number was to be stamped on repaired assemblies imediately following the reference letters, e.g. NOR/4/- which would indicate, say, Scorton workshops.

The standard position for the code reference numbers on engines was agreed with the Ministry of Supply. In the case of other engines or assemblies where no special position was specified, the reference number was to be stamped adjacent to the makers’ serial number. E.g. AEC were to be stamped on the offside of the engine at the front end of the cylinder block.



The following reference letters had been allotted to workshops and commands [by 1944]:

COMMAND WORKSHOPS, ROYAL ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL ENGINEERS:
ALDERSHOT: ALD/-
CATTERICK: CAT/-
HIGH WYCOMBE,.BUCKINGHAMSHIRE: HWB/-
MILL HILL [LONDON] MHL/-
BOVINGTON: BOV/-
CHILWELL: CHL/-
BICESTER: BIC/-
LINWOOD: LIN/-
GREENFORD/- GRE/-
DONNINGTON: DON/-

R.C.E.M.E. WORKSHOP, BORDON: BOR/-
G.M.C., CLECKHEATON: G.M.C./-
ROLLS-ROYCE LIMITED: RRN/-
VAUXHALL MOTORS LTD., DUNSTABLE^: VMD/-
SELF-CHANGING GEARS LIMITED: SCG/-
DAVID BROWN LTD., HUDDERSFIELD: DBH/-
MINISTRY OF SUPPLY REPAIRERS,OTHER THAN THE ABOVE*: MS/-
WORKSHOP DETACHMENT, R.E.M.E., D.H. WICKHAM AND CO., WARE: DWW/-
WORKSHOP DETACHMENT, R.E.M.E., L.P.T.B.,ACTON]: LPTB/-
COMMAND WORKSHOPS, R.E.M.E. OTHER THAN THE ABOVE:
NORTHERN COMMAND NOR
SOUTHERN COMMAND SOU
EASTERN COMMAND ECO
WESTERN COMMAND WES
SCOTTISH COMMAND SCT
LONDON DISTRICT LON
NORTHERN IRELAND DISTRICT