Exhibit planned to mark Luton’s Vauxhall heritage.
Workers at Luton’s Vauxhall plant are sharing their stories as part of a series of events celebrating the industry’s effect on the area.
Luton Made has been commemorating Vauxhall’s history, which operated in the town for 120 years and employed 37,000 people at its height.
The company’s final van manufacturing closed in April, and former engineer Andy King stated, “Young people don’t know this story – we want to create a different image for Luton internally and externally.”
He stated that over 100 people attended an event at Wardown House on Sunday to share recollections and images in preparation for an exhibition next May.
Luton MadeMr King, 71, leader of the Luton campaign group Save our Town, stated that Luton Made was part of a larger effort to “try and establish an industrial heritage centre in the town to celebrate the major engineering and manufacturing centres.” “We had Skefko, Electrolux, Whitbread, Bedford Trucks, and Hayward Tyler.”
“It’s not just about celebrating cars and trucks – the things these companies made – it’s about the people that came and made the companies, and the companies made them,” he said further.
Mr King enrolled in Vauxhall’s engineering apprenticeship at the age of 16. “My first year was spent in the engineering school facility, which was located within the airport’s perimeter.
“We went through multi-disciplinary training, such as welding, surface grinding.”
He stated that he intended to emphasise the social, “family-centric” side of Vauxhall. “It was a highly progressive, benevolent management style.
“There was an activities program with over 120 distinct activities taking place. It definitely created a family atmosphere. “It was an inspirational generation,” he claimed.
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