Exhibition celebrating Vauxhall’s history in Luton opens
A museum exhibition telling the human stories behind Vauxhall's presence in Luton has been hailed as a success after a special opening celebration at the weekend.
Luton Made: Vauxhall in Stockwood Discovery Centre explores the history of the vehicle manufacturing plant and how it forms part of the town’s wider industrial history.
Using voices of those who worked for the company, it looks at the people behind the brand to paint a picture of what Vauxhall meant to Luton, and vice versa.
Scores of vintage lorries, vans, and cars made in the town were brought to a special event on Sunday, with visitors invited to step back in time as they looked at some of the vehicles they had worked to build.
Andy King, chair of the campaign group Save Our Town, called the event “sensational”.
He said: “The cars are really symbolic of what people did when they went to work every day. It’s their story that’s so important.”
Andy, who had worked there for a decade, starting off as an apprentice in 1970, donated some of his old tools to illustrate what kit was needed when he started at the firm.
He explained: “If we’re not careful, things like these are going to be lost forever.”
The exhibit also highlighted migration and its importance to the Vauxhall workforce.
The council’s corporate director for inclusive growth, Gerard McCleave, said: “Anybody who has been a part of Luton for many years will know of the unique role that Vauxhall played in the town for 120 years, not just as an employer but as a source of pride for its highly skilled workforce, a central part of social and family life and a major driver of migration from across the UK and around the world.”
And looking forward, there could be more created to honour the town’s vast industrial past.
Gerard said: “We will be seeking to build on the legacy of this project with further work around Vauxhall and other examples of Luton’s industrial heritage with a long-term ambition to create an industrial heritage centre in Luton.”
Andy has been calling for something in the town to celebrate this history for the past six years.
He added: “How can you be proud of something you don’t know? [The town] desperately needs evidence of why people should be proud of the town.”
Rachel Hopkins MP, who went to see the vehicles on Sunday, said: “It was brilliant to visit the Luton Made: Vauxhall Exhibition at Stockwood Discovery Centre to celebrate Vauxhall’s role in our town’s proud industrial heritage and the contribution of generations of local people who worked at the factory over 120 years. I highly recommend a visit to the exhibition while it runs throughout May and June!
"I continue to support the campaign for a permanent home for the Vauxhall heritage collection of cars in Luton. Further events like this and a heritage centre dedicated to housing the collection of cars will help to keep the memory of Vauxhall, its workers, and its contribution to our town alive for generations to come.”
The exhibition is at Stockwood Discovery Centre until June 28.