Vauxhall – The Styling & Engineering Centre

During the 1960s General Motors wanted to expand its various overseas division’s product development capabilities, an essential element in this goal was to enable the major operations to quickly design, develop and test new models thereby enabling the design facilities in the US to concentrate on domestic and Canadian requirements.

This programme also included specialist testing facilities, the first of these was the Vauxhall Chaul End Test Centre, and in 1957 Holden opened an even larger proving ground at Lang Lang in Victoria, Australia. In 1964 Opel opened their Dudenhofen proving ground and late in 1969 Vauxhall began using, at the time, the largest of all GM overseas test centres at Millbrook in Bedfordshire, this size record was broken when GM Brazil completed their Cruz Alta proving ground in 1974.

As far as design facilities were concerned GM collectively called these “Centres of Excellence”. The first to be opened was the Opel Design Centre at Russelsheim early in 1964 closely followed by Vauxhall at Luton in December 1964, Holden in 1965 and last GM Brazil in 1970. Each of these facilities had the ability to take a project from design drawing to production of road going prototypes.

The timing of the initial go ahead for Vauxhalls Engineering & Design Centre was the result of a stage managed event by the company’s chief engineer Maurice Platt in 1960. Cy Osborn was a member of GM’s small group of executive vice presidents and was experienced in engineering management and whose responsibilities included overseeing the affairs of GMOO. Platt was advised in advance of an informal visit by Osborn to review some long term design studies that Vauxhall were working on, but rather than stage the kind of display

It was important that the new building be located as near to the factory as possible and, with an approved Industrial Development Certificate, financially it would also qualify for a 30% investment allowance granted for scientific research & development by the Government. The difficulty in finding a site was solved when Vauxhall Vice Chairman, Sir Reginald Pearson, unexpectedly succeeded in negotiating the purchase of a 13- acre plot alongside AK Block which had previously been a recreation ground. The construction of the new AJ Block started after a great deal of planning in 1962, the floor area would be 350,00 square feet and the total cost , including equipment, would be £2.5m. Dudley Perkins, Workshop & Experimental Test Facilities Manager, relinquished his responsibilities in order to concentrate full time, in conjunction with John Alden, to the layout and equipment for the new premises.