Inside Vauxhall’s police car factory

Sat on the same site that Vauxhall has owned since 1905 is Britain’s last remaining light commercial vehicle factory. Standing at the main gates, you can still see rubble on the hillside where the area once occupied by the neighbouring car plant is slowly being transformed into housing. Between the two of them, they have produced over 8 million vehicles, ranging from grand prix cars to Churchill tanks.

The plant’s primary role is now producing the Vivaro van, which leaves the gates in more than 100 different permutations, bound for 27 countries across the globe. But it’s also home to Vauxhall’s Special Vehicles division, including a facility affectionately known as the Police Car Factory. Opened last year, it now produces some 70 per cent of the UK’s Police vehicles.

In the case of the Police-spec Vivaro, the complete assembly takes place on site, as does fabrication of some of the major body and chassis members. When it comes to cars and other light commercials, the base vehicles are sourced from a variety of General Motors (GM) plants, including Ellesmere Port in Cheshire.