Vauxhall Ellesmere Port celebrates 50 years of production

VAUXHALL is gearing up for a milestone celebration at its Ellesmere Port plant .

The car manufacturer marking the 50th anniversary of production with a special ceremony, where the latest model to be made at the Cheshire factory will roll off the production line alongside one of the original Viva models.

In 1964 a white Viva was the first to come off the line following the building of the Vauxhall factory on the site of RAF Hooton. To mark the milestone Vauxhall is re-enacting this moment with the same signage being recreated.

From June 1 1964 to date, Ellesmere Port has built nearly five million vehicles and has had a major impact on the lives of the local community and sustains 2,700 direct jobs today.

The celebrations will be led by Stefan Fesser, the new director of the plant, who will be joined by a number of the factory’s longest-serving employees.

Having come through several years uncertainty over the future – parent company General Motors saved it from closure in 2013 after agreeing new flexible working and pay deals with unions – Ellesmere Port is getting ready for the next Astra which will go into production in 2015.