Cover news
04/04/2011

Light van insurance holders pleased Luton plant to be kept open

Employee's of the Vauxhall plant in Luton are probably pleased to hear that the plant will not be closing in 2013 as their contract originally stipulated. Light van insurance holders may be interested to hear that the plant will be manufacturing a new generation of commercial vehicle.

The saving grace for the plant has been the Opel/Vauxhall next generation Vivaro van which will be manufactured there by General Motors (GM), and will secure the plant's future – saving 1,500 jobs.

GM, which owns Opel/Vauxhall, talked of the Luton plant saying that it would "continue to play an important role in the Opel/Vauxhall manufacturing network".

There had also been plans by Renault, which makes its Renault Trafic van at the Luton Vauxhall factory, to move the manufacture of the next-generation Trafic to France, but the production-line will now stay in operation until at least 2020..

This turn of events is reported to be largely attributable to Vauxhall's chairman, who played an important role in the new agreement, and the pivotal hard work and determination of the Luton workforce.

Renault and GM Opel/Vauxhall first co-operated in 1996 and the Luton-built vans will now continue to be made to fulfil the needs of business van drivers who also require light van insurance to cover their business vehicle needs.