June 2014 marks 50 years since the first Vauxhall vehicle rolled off the manufacturer's Ellesmere Port production line, and to mark the occasion the brand has replicated the moment. The site was established back in 1962 to supply engines and components to Vauxhall's Luton and Dunstable production lines, and manufacturing of vehicles began two years later. The first car to be produced was a white Vauxhall Viva, and on June 5 the carmaker re-enacted the landmark moment using a near identical Viva model alongside a white Astra, the key production car of 2014.
During 50 years of production, the Ellesmere Port base has built almost five million vehicles and contributes greatly to the local community. Tens of thousands of residents have been employed over five decades, and in 1974 this reached a peak of 12,000. Today, approximately 2,100 individuals are based at the Merseyside site. The Viva started it all, and Vauxhall has announced that the model name will return in 2015 in the shape of an all-new city car. Whereas the original was a compact saloon, the incoming vehicle will join the automaker's ADAM as a new breed of agile and distinctly-styled urban vehicles.
To search for your next Vauxhall and discuss your requirements with the experts, contact Lookers Vauxhall across Liverpool, Birmingham, Wirral and Cheshire to speak with our team.