Longbridge Plant

The Longbridge plant is an industrial site in Longbridge, a suburb eight kilometres south-west of Birmingham city centre. It sits between the Bristol Road and two railway lines, on land once covered by twenty fields and Cofton Hill, a low rise of 21 metres. The first factory was built in 1895 for copper-plate printers but closed within six years. In 1906 Herbert Austin bought the derelict works and began making cars there. The plant grew quickly, adding workshops and a flying ground during the First World War. The plant became one of Britain’s largest car factories by the late 1960s, employing around 25,000 people. It produced the original Mini and other models before wartime work turned it to munitions. During the Second World War it made shells, guns, aeroplanes and trucks, earning a knighthood for Austin. After 1945 the site returned to cars, becoming part of British Leyland in 1968. The factory later became MG Rover’s main base until its collapse in 2005. Visitors today see a mix of modern research buildings and older industrial structures. The MG Motor Technical Centre checks cars assembled in China before they are sold in Europe. Parts of the site have been redeveloped for shops and homes, while the remaining factory buildings recall the plant’s century-long history. The railway station built inside the works still serves workers. Cofton Hill offers views across the former airfield and factory roofs.