End of an era: Stellantis to close legendary Vauxhall car assembly plant in England

The Vauxhall plant in Luton has officially ceased production - the last Vivaro van rolled off the assembly line the other day. Auto Express reported that workers were in tears as they gathered around the last vehicle produced, and the closure was a sombre day for a town that has played a long and prominent role in the UK car industry.

Here's What We Know

The Luton factory produced Vauxhall cars from the early 1900s. It started with the 9HP model and continued with cars such as the 1910 Vauxhall Prince Henry, post-war classics including the Vauxhall Cresta, Wyvern, Victor and Viva, as well as more modern cars such as the Chevette, Cavalier, Frontera and Vectra.

In fact, the Vectra was the last passenger model to be produced here back in 2002, after which the plant switched completely to commercial models.

Stellantis' decision to close the plant has left more than 1,000 employees unemployed. The chairman of Luton local council, Hazel Simmons, described the day as "very sad" and said the authority had offered alternative options to save the plant but Stellantis "did not want to consider them".

In an official statement, the company says its priority is its employees: they have been offered help to relocate to the Ellesmere Port plant, job fairs, CV writing, retraining courses and wellness sessions.

Why did the plant close?

According to analysts interviewed by Auto Express, the closure was due to Stellantis' overcapacity in Europe and the failure of the government's Zero Emissions Vehicle Transition Programme (ZEV Mandate) to match the real needs of the market.

Stellantis first announced plans to close the plant in November 2024, just nine months after promising to invest in electric vehicle production. The group eventually decided to concentrate electric van production at Ellesmere Port, which was the final verdict for the historic Luton plant.

Source: Auto Express