Ellesmere Port Memories: Vauxhall marks 30 years of Astras

By Ellesmere Port Pioneer on Feb 24, 10 10:24 AM in 1981-1999

It is 30 years since the very first Vauxhall Astra rolled off the production line at Ellesmere Port. LAURIE STOCKS-MOORE looks back on its historic role in the town's fortunes...

SIX GENERATIONS and 2.8 million units later, the Astra has established itself as the fourth most popular car ever sold in Britain and accounts for almost one in 20 of all vehicles registered in the UK.

The latest mark six version, launched last year, is Britain's best-selling UK-built car.
Its popularity has single-handedly sealed the survival of the Ellesmere plant and has kept hundreds of locals in jobs over the decades.

John Featherston, the plant's UNITE union convenor, has a long association with the celebrated vehicle - he has been at the Ellesmere Port plant for 33 years and worked on the very first model.

He hailed the car as a "Godsend to Ellesmere Port", adding: "I worked on the first Astras in the body shop. It was a lifeline then and the new Astra is a lifeline for the people after me. Long may it continue.

"It's provided a lot of jobs, provided a lot of people with a good living.

"It's been good business for the area and the individuals.

"The Astra's been a Godsend to Ellesmere Port.

"Nobody's given it to us, we've earned the right to build it.

"Like all cars, each one's improved on the previous one. The current Astra is the best I've seen out there.

"There's been people who've since retired and its provided them with a good living and earned them a pension.

"Fathers and sons have been in there, it has spanned generations. They've brought up families on what they've earned."

But the plant's recent past has been a troubled one. When Magna, a Canadian car part's manufacturer looked set to move in and cut jobs last year, the future of the plant hung in the balance.

Mr Featherston added: "Last year we didn't really believe there was a long-term future but GM are now saying they're going to keep us.

"We believe we've earned the right to build the next generation Astra, be that the Ampera.

"We have a first class workforce, first class product and hopefully a first class future."

The first Mk1 Astra rolled off the production line at Ellesmere Port in February 1980 and in 1982, the Astra became the first Vauxhall ever to be offered with a diesel engine.

In 1991, the mark three brought the first Astra available as a coupe.

Having moved with the times, the car has provided a strong challenge to the country's most popular small family car - the Ford Escort and later the Ford Focus.

Sporting pedigree followed with dominant spells in international motorsport, and the release of hot hatch derivatives while the car has been a favourite for catching criminals with police forces nationwide. latest figures show there are 3,500 liveried Astras on our roads.

Andrew Miller, MP for Ellesmere Port and Neston, has long supported the car. In 1990, before being elected, he urged residents to follow his lead and drive an Astra themselves to boost business at the plant.

He paid tribute to the role played by the car in his constituency.

He said: "The importance of the Astra to Ellesmere Port and the surrounding area cannot be overstated. The factory makes a huge contribution to the regional economy and over the 30 years it has come to represent quality.

"The workforce should be congratulated and I know they will continue to drive up standards to ensure that the factory remains world class.

"During this time the partnership between the management, trade union and government has also gone from strength to strength. But it has been the determination of the whole of the workforce that has secured the future."

He added: "I look forward to working with them all on the next challenge, ensuring Ellesmere Port becomes the home of next generation vehicles."

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