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Cuthbert



Member Since: 26 Oct 2013
Location: Up North
Posts: 1535
Factory Visits at Solihull
Couple of business colleagues went on a recent visit to Land Rover's Solihull plant as part of a 'manufacturing centre of excellence tour'. They had no specific interest in Defenders or Range Rovers as such, but plenty of interest in manufacturing processes, quality assurance and a raft of business tools and techniques originating from Japan and America. So it appears that Land Rover do open their doors to visitors at that level and my colleagues were impressed with what they saw.

In addition they also seem to be offering the £45 per skull public tours via their website.

Has anyone any experience of visiting the plant and what did they learn? As I'm in the process of buying a new Defender I thought it might be interesting to see how they are put together and learn a little more about the company. None of the dealers I've spoken to mentioned the opportunity to see around the factory but maybe that kind of activity doesn't interest a dull sales type of person.
Post #280191 6th Nov 2013 10:36pm
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Tiger



Member Since: 06 Jul 2012
Location: Wales
Posts: 2265
2004 Defender 110 Td5 CSW Java Black
Yes and it's bloody brilliant!
Post #280196 6th Nov 2013 10:42pm
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RobKeay



Member Since: 19 Jul 2009
Location: Stafford
Posts: 1567
United Kingdom 2014 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 USW Corris Grey
It's a must. Even more so as defender is on borrowed times.
Post #280198 6th Nov 2013 10:46pm
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Cuthbert



Member Since: 26 Oct 2013
Location: Up North
Posts: 1535
Tiger wrote:
Yes and it's bloody brilliant!


Short, positive and to the point .......... but can you tell us more? What did you see? What were you told? Did they give you a nice cuppa and a corporate biscuit?
Post #280207 6th Nov 2013 11:12pm
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Tiger



Member Since: 06 Jul 2012
Location: Wales
Posts: 2265
2004 Defender 110 Td5 CSW Java Black
Paid £45

Opted for an afternoon session on a Tuesday

Got there, you drive through the main gates and into the factory complex to the Experience centre

Coffee / Biscuits / Another coffee and biscuit to be safe.

Turned out I was the only one booked in that afternoon so got a 1 to 1 tour

Started at Defender and walked around every stage from axles going on to water ingress testing Shocked

Then went to see Disco4 / Range rover assembly. Very impressive and a stark difference from 1940s Defender factory also very interesting to see one production line handling monocoque RR & RRsports aswell as the double ladder chassis Discos

Went to see RR state of the art Ali factory where the robots build the RR shells. Dead futuristic. Nobody doing anything but monitoring screens.

On the other side is Disco shells, still robots spot welding but steel and 10 years older gear

Then went to see the shell presses taking flat sheet and pressing body shells.

Ran out of time and missed the paint shop.

Would do it again as there was so much to take in, in an afternoon.

That better Thumbs Up
Post #280212 6th Nov 2013 11:24pm
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RobKeay



Member Since: 19 Jul 2009
Location: Stafford
Posts: 1567
United Kingdom 2014 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 USW Corris Grey
You can't go in the paint shop. The guide normally let's you go where you want and answers your questions on production. I've been several times and will go again.

Watching defender being bodged together is fantastic. It's also very close to where they built series one no less.

Better still upgrade and drive the jungle track. Then go down the big hill in a disco 4 or range rover it's frightening. We ruined a wheel on our d4 when we went round.
Post #280217 6th Nov 2013 11:36pm
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smb



Member Since: 15 Jan 2013
Location: Cheshire
Posts: 1232
United Kingdom 2011 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Santorini Black
PM sent
Post #280234 7th Nov 2013 1:15am
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Dfrs



Member Since: 03 Oct 2013
Location: Ireland
Posts: 91
I would like to do this as well ,do people ever arrange to met up and do the tour?
Post #280236 7th Nov 2013 1:23am
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DiscoStu



Member Since: 30 Jun 2007
Location: London/The far north
Posts: 253
United Kingdom 2013 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 SW Santorini Black
Yes, Disco3 members have arranged tours. There's one in December. My Disco 'best bits'

Defender 110 XS CSW 2013
Post #280248 7th Nov 2013 8:19am
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JSG



Member Since: 12 Jul 2007
Location: Berkshire
Posts: 2412
United Kingdom 2011 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Stornoway Grey
We had a Defender 2 group tour some time ago. John

http://www.hampshire4x4response.co.uk

2011 Tdci 110 CSW XS
Post #280345 7th Nov 2013 3:58pm
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JWL



Member Since: 26 Oct 2011
Location: Hereford
Posts: 3443
England 2002 Defender 110 Td5 SW Coniston Green
I'm looking at making a trip around the end of January/early Febuary to take my "will be 13 year old" as a birthday present, last year we had a half day at Eastnor. I've a feeling that he would really appreciate one of these.
Post #280348 7th Nov 2013 4:03pm
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tookaphotoof



Member Since: 18 Mar 2013
Location: dordrecht
Posts: 1279
Netherlands 2013 Defender 130 Puma 2.2 HCPU Santorini Black
Still need to go before it's over... Whistle
Post #280349 7th Nov 2013 4:11pm
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stanley



Member Since: 18 Sep 2009
Location: Dorset /hampshire
Posts: 1026
United Kingdom 2011 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 USW Orkney Grey
It's a must IMHO I would go again at the drop of a hat
Post #280351 7th Nov 2013 4:15pm
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Natlas



Member Since: 20 Mar 2013
Location: West Sussex
Posts: 460
United Kingdom 2013 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 XS CSW Aintree Green
Yes I'd like to do this tour 2.2 90 XS
88" Series One
Old Norton Smile
Minerva
Post #280383 7th Nov 2013 7:32pm
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Cuthbert



Member Since: 26 Oct 2013
Location: Up North
Posts: 1535
Thanks to Tiger for his unabridged version of his visit. You've done an excellent sales job - I'm now trying to engineer a trip South so that I can divert via Solihull and undertake what a colleague would term 'a learning journey'.
Post #280407 7th Nov 2013 8:51pm
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