Linwood Car Plant, Scotland 2008

[Gorecki]

Linwood Car Plant was home to the Rootes car plant and the Pressed Steel company, both of which ceased production in 1981.

It was to be Scotland's only volume car factory.
Construction began in 1961 and the plant was opened on May 2, 1963, by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. The site had been chosen for its proximity to the Pressed Steel Fisher factory, which already built bodies for Rootes cars, and the Scottish plant was to produce bodies for the new Hillman Imp; an all new, compact, rear engined saloon powered by an innovative all aluminium engine, introduced in 1963 as Rootes answer to the Mini.



Despite its innovation, the Imp's design was underdeveloped, and the launch was hurried to get the car on the road as soon as the factory was able to begin production. Coupled with buyer apathy to the new design, and poor build quality with resultant unreliability, sales were never to reach expectations. Although the period from 1963-65 had been successful, near constant strikes at the factory meant production suffered. Lost production and crippling warranty claims meant Rootes simply had no money for further development, they became uncompetitive, and suffered a decline they were unable to recover from.

Rootes were taken over by Chrysler in 1967. In October 1969, assembly of all Rootes medium range cars was transferred to Linwood. In 1972 a number of new cars were launched, either being manufactured at Linwood, such as the new Hunter, or using components manufactured there, such as the Avenger Estate.



The last major buildings on the site were demolished between 1996 and 1997, although the observant can still find a few remnants scattered around the area.
In 2008, the last of the factory buildings was demolished, to be replaced by new housing.





















German!!







Faded Signage ::

[ERNIE99_UK]

Cool stuff, My dad once owned a singer chamois (what a car name) which was a sporting variant of the imp.

You can make out talbot on the rail bridge. I believe they were taken over by peugeot/ PSA.

[boxfrenzy]

That's a great report. I love the scary stairs and the hanging my little pony. Looks a cool place to visit. I'm really liking the stuff in Scotland at the moment.

[Muse]

Nice report. Love the stairs!

[Rebel]

Thats what you call stripped Like the spine looking stairs too.

[zimbob]

Good stuff

I was going to say I like those stairs, but seeing as how everyone else already has, I'm not

[sinnerman]

so theres nothing left of it now ?

[Gorecki]

so theres nothing left of it now ?

Demolished for new housing

[sinnerman]

boo Hiss, thats a shame

[Rochester]

Demolished for new housing

Gutted, my first car was an old hillman avenger I would have loved to see this place.