Building a baby Austin7 MK1 Mini - BMC, Longbridge PART 1/2

A very early BMC film of the original Mini being built from Start to finish at the Austin Factory, Longbridge - happy times. Sadly, most of the factory has recently been demolished. The Mini production assembly remained virtually unchanged for 40 years.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Mini
• British
• Leyland
• Longbridge
• Build
• Austin
• Morris
• Auto
• BMC

[alexsuchapimp]

this is back when Britain was strong

[Leafster1973]

@alexsuchapimp before the rest of the World caught up

[ColinAZ8]

Enjoyed the video of this well loved car. I thought it hilarious when they started painting and said "...human element invades the automation of the production line in a big way". WHAT automation? This was an antiquated manual assembly line with very little automation. Well, maybe it was considered automation in it's time.

[Leafster1973]

Its was in the very early 60s!

[Leafster1973]

and it still proves to be a super little car 50 years on. We went shopping today, 4 people in the mini, and still managed to get all the weekly Tesco shopping in the boot, less is more! We cover a 100miles a week, 50MPG, and they are so easy and cheap to service it all makes perfect sense!

[Guardtheheart]

Did the gear box use engine oil?? My guess is that did not, but if any really does know, please let me know.

Thanks!

[Leafster1973]

Not some much use it, but lose it from the driveshaft and gear selector oil seals!

[bhamboy05]

I worked at Longbridge from 1994 - 97 in The Old West Works spot welding on the Mini, and the production line and tools had hardly changed since 1959.

[gentil79]

Sorry, but you are completely in the wrong. it was the basic transportation for many families, and like the Fiat 600, the Beetle and the Citroen 2cv, it was the most basic car you could buy.

[MrClassicDoctorWho]

The rust preventing line made me laugh!

[ExeterCityMan]

I think my old Mini must have missed the rust preventing rotor dip !!!!!!!

[arobekie]

That was a excelent film Mr cholmondley warner,Thank you grayson.

[MrMarmaduke1]

I dont think it was Bmws fault They were going to kill it off earlier but we were making loads for the japanese market. They said it was because they were buying them, coz they could not have cars over three years old in japan, and making them look like Italian job cars.

[MrMarmaduke1]

I worked there in1990 we used some of that stuff to do a special run of metro bodies

the track had been retooled to make the r6 seriesThe ones we were making we were told was for a car hire firm tha wanted the old type Those spot wleding guns didnt come any bigger.

[00Donkey00]

@Guardtheheart

Yes the original mini uses engine oil for the gearbox.