Vauxhall factory marks 60 years of manufacturing

Staff at the Vauxhall plant in Ellesmere Port which is celebrating 60 years

Staff at a Vauxhall factory are celebrating 60 years since the first car rolled off the production line in the north west of England.

Past and present employees gathered at the Ellesmere Port plant in Cheshire on Wednesday to mark six decades of manufacturing - with one family marking a special milestone.

Keith Tabiner worked on the first car, a Vauxhall Viva, made at the plant in 1964 and has three sons still working at the factory.

"I am like Blackpool rock, I've got Vauxhall right through my veins," the 83-year-old-said.

Mr Tabiner, fourth from right, worked on the Vauxhall Viva in 1964

The Ellesmere Port plant was built in 1962 and opened for production of the Viva in 1964.

Mr Tabiner started working there when he was 23 years old, and returned to the factory on Wednesday to witness one of the cars he worked on in 1964 come back to life.

He told BBC Radio Merseyside: "I'm very proud, because everything has been put down to Vauxhalls, we wouldn't have anything without this place.

"It's completely changed, there's not as many people here but it's trimmed down. It's so clean and all painted, it is very spruce."

Mr Tabiner (second left) worked at the factory and now his three sons (from left) Phil, Mark, Michael, also work at the plant

Mr Tabiner, has four sons - three of whom work at the plant - meaning the family has a combined 152 years of employment at the site

He said it was "unbelievable" back in 1964.

It was Mr Tabiner's job to spray an engine every minute, something a machine now does.

His son, Phil Tabiner, has been working at the factory for 38 years.

He said: "My dad worked in the final finish repair area and I worked in the paint shop, sometimes there would be overtime in my dad's area and he called on our skills, working under my dad, it was quite funny at times."

The Cheshire plant is marking 60 years of manufacturing

The Cheshire factory has been the home of several famous models including the Vauxhall Chevette and, since 1980, seven generations of the Astra - and now produces the latest generation of electric vans among other passenger vehicles.

The plant is now the UK's first electric-only vehicle plant and the first Stellantis plant worldwide, said Diane Miller, plant director.

"We can't believe 60 years are here already," she said.

"A lot of people said the plant is going to close every year ever since we have been here, so we are really pleased that this is such a positive future.

"They never believed it would be here for ten years, the fact that we can get to 60 years, they know now we can get to 100 years, without a doubt."