[Hovebiker]

I have been waiting since 04 April and three and a half months later still waiting @1100.

Now I hear that Oxford plant is shutting down last week in July and first two weeks in August !

Is this true ? Can anyone confirm this shut-down ? It would part-explain my long wait.

On a more positive note I saw a black MC parked in Brighton; basic spec, cloth seats, 15 inch wheels...... looked Ace.

 

[cosmic68]

Car plants do shut down historically in one period, but funnily enough, I heard on a different forum that Mini in Oxford had already done this in June. Not sure if correct though.
I'm hoping it is as I've got a Sept delivery date!

 

[Sunbar]

June would be a strange month for a car plant to be closed. Not impossible, but with school holidays etc. I would expect there would be a lot of pre-planning and agreement with the employees on the production-line.

My delivery date is September also so if they are working through July and August its all good!

 

[cosmic68]

The factory tours are still booking through the mentioned periods, so I imagine it's not closing hopefully.

 

[olires]

They shut down for two weeks over Easter this year to clear the stockpile of built but faulty diesels that were clogging up the factory and its grounds.

 

[GoKart7]

I fear a strike coming

Mini employees want more money for building Mini to the masses

 

[Steve07]

My Thunder Grey MCS moved to status 1200 yesterday.

I hope to God they don't go on holiday now .............

 

[wtwien]

When I placed my order I was told the shutdown was the end of July beginning of August. Was not told exact dates

 

[jeremybingham]

Our factory tour is 16 Aug so it's definitely not shut then.

 

[Sunbar]

Normally plant tours are Monday-Friday I thought.

MINI plant tours website...
"Plant tours are offered only on days with running production (normally Monday to Friday)."

However 16 August is a Saturday. So does that mean they are scheduling Saturday production as well?

 

[Iznik]

Currently you can book factory tours from 21st July through to 15th August (with the odd date missing), so either the tours go ahead in an otherwise closed factory, or the closure is mid-August or later.

 

[Sunbar]

....either the tours go ahead in an otherwise closed factory,....

In my experience when a car plant shuts for the annual holidays its eerily deserted. There is only a bare minimum of people around.

Tours only make sense during normal workdays, with full production, as the tour website states.

 

[MINIgirl]

I am in Northern California and today was told the same thing by another dealership. That the MINI plant shuts down in August!

There are so many people on this forum that are having tours during August, so I don't understand why the US dealers are saying this.

Could it be a code between them all because they want their stock on hand to sell and this is their way of discouraging special orders?

 

[Sunbar]

The shutdown has been delayed until September to prepare for new models and because of the previous delays. I don't see that the dealers have anything to gain by giving the wrong information except the new model year type approvals in the US are subject to some delay I think?

"BMW to Mercedes Skip Summer Breaks to Keep Plants Rolling.

BMW, which is also targeting record sales this year, hasn’t scheduled a general summer break at its plants, spokesman Nikolai Glies said by phone.

A current two-week stop in Dingolfing, Germany, is related to maintenance in the paint shop, while SUV production in Spartanburg, South Carolina, will halt for two weeks in July to prepare for the new X5 that will be introduced later this year, Glies said.

Mini Break

In September, Mini production in Oxford, England, will stop for two weeks to prepare for the next generation of BMW’s compact-car brand. "

www.Bloomberg.com

 

[olires]

Sunbar, the news item you reference was last year

 

[Steve07]

Hi,
I did the factory tour last week in July and the guide categorically stated that the factory will NOT shut down last week August/first week September.

The factory is shutting down last 2 weeks in September to re-tool the production lines for the build of the F54 Mini Clubman.
Our tour viewed the robots and kit already delivered and sat waiting for this shutdown on the factory floor.

The tours always coincide with the build shifts and you can still book tours currently.
Sunbar is correct with his information.

Hope this helps everyone waiting for their September delivery Mini's.

Steve