The Longbridge plant was a large industrial site in the Longbridge area of Birmingham, England. It was active during the 20th Century (and as such it is part of Birmingham's transport history). Longbridge was once the largest manufacturing plant in the world. Thousands were employed producing and assembling cars, including the iconic Austin Mini. During the Second World War the site produced munitions and aeroplanes such as the Short Stirling. The Longbridge Plant from the Air, 2005. ... This article is about the British city. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999... Birminghams history as a transport manufacturer is extensive, with firms like BSA, Norton, Ariel, and Velocette motorbikes, LDV vans, Wolseley police cars, Morris, the Mini, Austin, MG Rover Group, Lucas Aerospace, Tyseley Locomotive Works, The Dunlop Tyre Company, the Midland Red Bus Company and a UK branch of Alstom... The Mini is the name of a rather petite car produced from 1959 to 2000, and the name of a newer one known as New MINI launched in 2001. ... The Stirling was a World War II heavy bomber design built by Short Brothers. ...

Between 1900 and 2005 the site saw very many different products, state ownership and a variety of private owners. During the 20th century the physical fabric of the factory itself simply remained, evolved and, most important, was used in the daily production of motor vehicles, munitions and aeroplanes.

Foundation

The factory at Longbridge was founded by Berkshire-born Herbert Austin. He learnt the engineering trade at the Wolseley Car manufacturer, working on tools as well as cars. Whilst at Wolesley, Austin produced an experimental three-wheeled car, and then another in 1896 which was exhibited at the Crystal Palace. This success emboldened him to begin his own business. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Sir Herbert Austin (1866-1941) was an English automobile designer and builder. ... Wolseley can mean: Wolseley plc, A British company formerly known for car manufacture, now active in other areas Wolseley, Saskatchewan, Canada Wolseley, a provincial electoral district in Manitoba, Canada Wolseley, South Africa, a town in the Western Cape Province of South Africa This is a disambiguation page — a navigational... For other uses, see Crystal Palace. ...

Austin undertook numerous exploratory rides around Birmingham in his Wolseley 7.5 h.p.^[1]. At Longbridge, seven miles out of the city, on the 4th November 1905, he found a small derelict printing works^[1]. He bought it; friends came forward with financial help and the Austin Motor Company was born. This article is about a unit of measurement. ... November 4 is the 308th day of the year (309th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 57 days remaining. ... For other uses, see 1905 (disambiguation). ... The printing press is a mechanical device for printing many copies of a text on rectangular sheets of paper. ... The Austin Motor Company was a British manufacturer of automobiles that rose to be a major motorcar brand, the dominant partner after merger with Morris in 1952 but declining after absorption into the British Leyland Motor Corporation, and its subsequent troubles. ...

On paper the first Austin was described as a 25-30 h.p. high-class touring car with a four-speed gearbox and a chain-driven transmission. Each car had a material and quality guarantee and the first model was produced at the end of March 1906, at a price of £650. A gearbox is an assembly of gears allowing the rotational speed of an input shaft to be changed to a different speed. ... “Gearbox” redirects here. ...

By 1908 nearly 1,000 workers were employed and a night shift was found necessary. In February 1914, the Company was changed to public ownership and the market capitalization was increased to £50,000. All seemed to be set fair and then the situation changed almost overnight. Market capitalization, or market cap, is a measurement of corporate or economic size equal to the stock price times the number of shares outstanding of a public company. ...

World War I

The Longbridge plant was part of a significant rapid mobilisation process which took place across Europe on the announcement of World War I. Machines that had been used to build Austin cars were employed to produce munitions, and all the resources of the factory were harnessed to serve the armed forces. For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ...

As the demand for weapons and equipment of every kind continued to increase, the factory was expanded. By 1917 it had trebled in size and possessed its own flying ground at Cofton Hackett, south of the main works. The employees, many of whom were women, rose to over 22,000 during the peak years. Cofton Church, 2005. ...

Between 1914 and 1918, amongst other things, over 8,000,000 shells were produced along with 650 guns, 2,000 aeroplanes, 2,500 aero engines and 2,000 trucks.

The interwar years

Before the end of the war, plans were announced for concentrating on the production of a 20 h.p. car when peace returned. The engine used for the 20 h.p. model was adapted for an Austin tractor, running on paraffin, which won many agricultural awards between 1919 and 1921. A 13-ton truck was also produced, using the same engine. For other uses, see Paraffin (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Truck (disambiguation). ...

For a short time the Company's post-war programme also included a range of aeroplanes. The Austin Greyhound 2-seater fighter was one, and the Austin Ball single-seater another. Then there was a single-seater biplanewith folding wings, which sold at £500, and a fourth called the Austin Whippet. Airplane and Aeroplane redirect here. ... Hs123 biplane. ...

After 1921 Austin became interested in smaller vehicles, including a 12-h.p. car and the tiny, and still familiar, Austin 7. In many ways the car was a miniature version, scaled down with the characteristic simplicity of Lord Austin's products. The Austin 7 was a vintage car produced from 1922 through to 1939 in the United Kingdom. ...

World War II

On the outbreak of World War II the factory was mobilised again. The manufacturing of cars was largely abandoned and the machines were turned to the production of armour-piercing ammunition for the 2-pounder, 6-pounder and 17-pounder anti-tank guns, steel boxes, jerricans, mines, depth charges and helmets. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... An Armour piercing shell is a type of ammunition designed to penetrate armour. ... Ammunition, often referred to as ammo, is a generic term meaning (the assembly of) a projectile and its propellant. ... The QF 2-pounder gun was a British anti-tank gun. ... The QF 6-pdr 7 cwt was a British anti-tank gun of World War 2. ... The 17-pounder (17-pdr) was a 77 mm anti-tank gun developed by the United Kingdom during World War II. It was the best Allied anti-tank gun of the war, able to defeat all German armor and the equal of all their guns up to the massive 88... Anti-tank, or simply AT, refers to any method of combating military armored fighting vehicles, notably tanks. ... A jerrycan or jerrican or jerry can is a robust fuel container made from pressed steel. ... Depth Charge used by U.S. Navy later in World War II The depth charge is the oldest anti-submarine weapon. ... Pith helmet of Harry S. Truman A helmet is a form of protective clothing worn on the head and usually made of metal or some other hard substance, typically for protection from falling objects or high-speed collisions. ...

Longbridge also produced parts for tanks, while aircraft were produced at the shadow factory at nearby Cofton Hackett. Fairey Battle light bombers, Mercury and Pegasus aero engines were produced, along with the Short Stirling four-engined heavy bomber and Hawker Hurricane fighter. Nearly 3,000 aircraft were built, along with 36,000 suspension units. Cofton Church, 2005. ... Fairey Battle The Fairey Battle was a light bomber of the Royal Air Force built by Fairey Aviation in the late 1930s. ... A light bomber is a military bomber aircraft which, when compared to other bombers, is relatively small and fast; such aircraft will probably not carry more than one ton of ordnance. ... Bristol Mercury engine Mercury built by NOHAB Bristol Mercury engine The Bristol Mercury was a 9-cylinder one-row piston radial engine used on British aircraft in the 1930s and 1940s. ... Bristol Pegasus piston engine The Pegasus was a 9 cylinder one_row radial aircraft engine designed as the follow-on to the Bristol Aeroplane Companys very successful Bristol Jupiter, following lessons learned in the Mercury effort. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Stirling was a World War II heavy bomber design built by Short Brothers. ... The Hawker Hurricane was a British single-seat fighter aircraft designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. ...

Bren guns and mortars were manufactured in West Works, in the area later known as West 4upper. The Bren (from Brno (the Czechoslovakian town of design) and Enfield, the location of the British Royal Small Arms Factory), usually called the Bren Gun, was a series of squad automatic weapon/light machine guns adopted by Britain in the 1930s and used in various roles into the 1980s. ... US soldier loading a M224 60-mm mortar. ...

Trentham buildings, Number 2 paint shop, was still referred to as the Beaufighter line by some people during the 1970s. The Beaufighter was a long-range heavy fighter modification of the Bristol Aeroplane Companys earlier Beaufort torpedo bomber design. ...

The building known as the Flight Shed in Cofton Lane was where bomber wings were removed before the aircraft was subsequently drawn up skids onto the airfield. The skids were still there at the rear of the Flight Shed during the 1980s.

Having such a concentration of wartime production meant that the area was a prime target for bombers. Erdington was made famous for being the very first part of England to be bombed by the Germans, who had presumably been trying to hit Longbridge.

After the war

Photo taken at Longbridge in 1948

After the war, Leonard Lord took over as chairman. He laid plans for a rapid expansion, new models, and overseas marketing. In June 1946, the millionth Austin was produced. It was painted in a matt cream and signed by the Chairman and the work-people at a special celebration. Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Leonard Lord Leonard Lord (1896-1967) was a captain of the British Motor Industry. ...

There was a collaboration with Healey. The Donald Healey Motor Company Ltd was a British car company. ...

In 1952 Austin was amalgamated with the Morris Motor Company and became BMC. Morris Motor logo, from a UK Royal Mail van 1927 Morris Cowley 1928 Morris Minor Saloon 1946 Morris Ten Series M 1953 Morris Minor Series 2 1971 Morris 1000 Traveller The Morris Motor Company was a former British car manufacturing company. ... BMC rosette logo old BMC share A preserved BMC ambulance. ...

British Leyland was put together in 1968 by Harold Wilson's industrial planners. The British Leyland Motor Corporation (often abbreviated to simply BL), was a Britain in 1968. ... James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, PC (11 March 1916 – 24 May 1995) was one of the most prominent British politicians of the 20th century. ...

Nationalisation

The British Leyland company was nationalised in 1975.

Derek Robinson, or "Red Robbo" as he was dubbed by the media, became synonymous with the strikes which crippled production at the Longbridge plant in Birmingham in the 1970s. Between 1978 and 1979, Mr Robinson, convenor at Longbridge, was behind 523 disputes at the then government-owned British Leyland (BL) plant, Britain's largest factory at the time. He was eventually sacked amid intense press attacks. Many of the votes for strikes were cast in Cofton Park opposite Q-Gate. Derek Robinson was a well known Trade Union spokesperson and shop steward within the British Leyland (BL) company for much of the 1970s. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ...

Privatisation

By the 1980s BL had been severely rationalised, and many businesses and other factories within its empire had either been closed or sold off. It had also entered into a collaborative deal with the Japanese giant Honda which gave it a new lease of life. In the 1980s, Longbridge produced models such as the Austin Metro and Rover 200-series which helped to keep BL, whose car division was then named as the Austin Rover Group, afloat. This article is about the Japanese motor corporation. ... 1989 MG Metro Turbo The Rover Metro was a hatchback automobile of supermini size, originally launched in 1980 as the Austin Mini Metro (miniMETRO to give the official badging), intended to replace the Mini. ... The Rover 200-series is an automobile produced by the Austin Rover Group, and latterly the Rover Group and MG Rover. ... The Austin Rover Group was a British motor manufacturer, which was formed from the British Leyland Motor Corporation (BL), and existed between 1982 and 1987. ...

In 1988 the Longbridge plant, along with the rest of BL, by then known as the Rover Group, was sold to British Aerospace. Rover Group plc was the name that was given by the British government, in 1986, to the state-owned vehicle manufacturer British Leyland or BL. After divesting of its commercial vehicle and bus manufacturing divisions the company by then consisting of the car manufacturing arm Austin Rover Group and the... British Aerospace (BAe) was a UK aircraft and defence systems manufacturer, now part of BAE Systems. ...

In 1994 BMW, fearful of their small size in a progressively oligopolizing market, bought Rover and the Longbridge plant passed into the hands of BMW. However, BMW shareholders prevailed and in 2000 Rover was sold to the 'Phoenix Consortium' in a management buyout for the princely sum of £10. At the time many financial commentators claimed that the plant was not modern enough and that it would surely run out of money within a few years. For other uses, see BMW (disambiguation). ... // Rover was a British automobile manufacturer and later a marque based at the former Austin Longbridge plant in Birmingham. ... A consortium is an association of two or more individuals, companies, organisations or governments (or any combination of these entities) with the objective of participating in a common activity or pooling their resources for achieving a common goal. ...

Financial ruin

In April 2005, the Phoenix Consortium put the MG-Rover group into administration and the 6000 remaining workers were asked to go home. After 100 years of constant occupation, it seemed possible that the workers had indeed left the factory for the last time.

The Nanjing takeover

Chinese automobile corporation Nanjing bought MG-Rover three months after it went into receivership and on 29 May 2007, MG 7 and MG TF production began, some two years after the collapse of MG-Rover. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... is the 149th day of the year (150th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... The MG 7 is a sports saloon built by MG. Production started in early 2007[1]. The MG 7 is a successor to the MG ZT, which was produced by MG Rover from 2001 until the firm went bankrupt in April 2005. ... The TF name has been used twice with the MG marque: 1953-1955 - T-Series 2002-2005 - F-Series This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

Nanjing also have plans to launch three new car ranges towards the end of 2008 which will be produced at Longbridge and possibly in China. These are the MG 3 and MG 5, respective successors to the MG ZR and MG ZS. Nanjing has also spoken of its plans to sell these cars as Austins at a later date, reviving a marque that was last seen on new cars in 1989 and would be ideal for less sporty mode ls produced alongside the MG range now that the Rover badge is owned by Ford. 2008 (MMVIII) will be a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (common) era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... The MG 3 is a future production car which will be sold under the MG model range owned by Nanjing Automobile Group. ... The MG 5 is a future production car which will be sold as an MG and built by the Chinese Nanjing Automobile Group. ... The MG ZR was a hot hatch produced by the MG Rover Group from 2001 to 2005. ... 2002 MG ZS The MG ZS (2001-2005) is a sporting family car derived from the Rover 45 (launched in 1999). ... The Austin Motor Company was a British manufacturer of automobiles that rose to be a major motorcar brand, the dominant partner after merger with Morris in 1952 but declining after absorption into the British Leyland Motor Corporation, and its subsequent troubles. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... Rover may refer to, A stereotyped name for a dog Rover bicycle, originating in 1885, that is usually described as the first recognizably modern bicycle Rover (car), a car marque, and historically a car company, Rover Ltd. ... “Ford” redirects here. ...

Fewer than 200 people are currently employed at Longbridge, though NAC has said that this figure will rise during the next couple of years. The current production facilities at Longbridge have the capacity for not more than approximately 1,000 workers to be employed there. More than half the factory site has been sold off and cleared, and the land reclaimed by businesses which hope to create up to 10,000 jobs in the next few years.

Notes

References

• Lambert, Z.E. and Wyatt, R.J., (1968). Lord Austin the Man, London:Sidgwick & Jackson.
• Sharratt, Barney, (2000). Men and Motors of the Austin: The inside story of a century of car making at Longbridge. Sparkford: Haynes Publishing. ISBN 1-85960-671-7.

External links

• Inside the Longbridge Plant
• Birmingham City Council 'Longbridge Crisis' page
• Technical data from Longbridge
• grid reference SP009770

Coordinates: 52.39102° N 1.98820° W The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using latitude or longitude. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...