FearLess Posted May 3, 2020 Posted May 3, 2020 (edited) All of that makes this particular story about our car industry unusual. Because, although it’s set against the backdrop of uncertainty caused by Brexit and many other factors, this is a good news story. It’s a good news story about a factory that has received major investment, increased production and shown that British manufacturing is as good as any in the world. In an industry in tumult, this factory has remained as calm as a Japanese zen garden. Except it’s in Derbyshire. Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK opened in Burnaston in December 1992 and began building the Carina E. Since then, it has produced various generations of the Avensis, Corolla and Auris – solid, if uninspired, cars that kept the production line humming but don’t exactly add up to the finest manufacturing legacy. However, the Auris was replaced last year by the new Corolla, a refreshed, rejuvenated machine that has proven a big success. While total UK car manufacturing output fell by 14.2% in 2019, production at Burnaston rose by 14.7%, with 148,106 Corollas rolling off its lines. That figure is unlikely to be maintained in 2020. At the time of writing, production at the Toyota factory was, as with every major plant in the UK and most worldwide, suspended. But the impact of that will be judged later. For now, let’s focus on the good news story.Back to top Besides, when Autocar visited Burnaston in early March, social distancing had extended only to not shaking hands and standing farther apart than usual. Production was still in full flow, with 2600 staff working two shifts per day to make a new Corolla every 89 seconds. The slick operation is overseen by managing director Jim Crosbie. He’s only been in this role since January but has spent 19 years at Toyota, starting at Burnaston before spells in the Czech Republic and at the firm’s engine plant in Deeside. He’s seen how Burnaston has grown, both in output and expertise, over the years. That the Corolla succeeded the Auris (actually, it was originally launched under that name) didn’t automatically mean the UK would get to build it. The confirmation of that came in early 2018, following a £240 million investment to upgrade production lines for the new TNGA platform the Corolla sits on. “We were delighted to get the model,” says Crosbie. “Being honest, we’re quite happy with the name change back to Corolla. It’s not just a European model; it’s one of Toyota’s key global brands. “In the past, some of the models built here haven’t been, can I say, the most exciting to look at, but that has completely changed with the Corolla. The members here are really enthusiastic about it. It’s good when you’re building and producing a car you know customers will enjoy. That satisfaction and pride is really important.” While securing a new model on a new global platform is a major positive, Crosbie says the “huge change” wasn’t easy to make. “We knew from other plants that had switched to the platform before us that it was a big challenge,” he says. “We needed to add around 200 new robots, change to an aluminium bonnet and a plastic rear door, change to ultra-high-strength steel and introduce a new paint line in our plastic shop for bumpers. Edited May 5, 2020 by -Sn!PeR- 24 hours passed. T/C.
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