The Automobile Factory Where Time Has Stopped: Haunting Photos of the Famous Longbridge MG Rover Plant
By: Sam Maven
Tags: Cars, Auto, Classic Cars, Abandoned

After the famous Longbridge MG Rover plant collapsed in 2005, production was massively scaled back, and the plant remained almost completely unused. Then, in 2016, MG Motor confirmed that the Longbridge plant in Birmingham was shut down entirely. These haunting images starkly contrast the bustling days in the 1980’s when twenty-five thousand workers were employed by the plant, which opened in 1905. Now, all that remains, captured by these ghostly images, are rusty unfinished cars on the production line.

Abandoned Light Blue Rover 75 On The Production Line

This eerie photograph depicts a rusty light blue unfinished Rover 75 sitting on the production line, abandoned by laid off plant workers, without windows or wheels, door handles, and much of the front of the vehicle. Having taken form, it was nearing completion. The light blue Rover 75 sits unfinished on the stopped production line over a decade after the plant collapsed. The Rover 75 is an executive car that was manufactured from 1999–2005. It made frequent appearances on Midsomer Murders, appeared several times on Dalziel and Pascoe, and was also featured as a police car in V for Vendetta. The Rover 75 was also featured in numerous additional movies and television shows.

Ghostly Image Of Part Of The Body Painting Line

This ghostly image shows an area of the body painting line. The cylinder tubes sticking out of the wall are hot air jets that dry the Rover 75’s paintwork. The Rover 75 on the production line, passes by as many hot air jets as it takes to eventually have its paint dried. Lots of hot air jets are needed to help the cars dry quickly. Experts have claimed that the reason for the plant’s closure was a flawed business model, which resulted in the MG Rover not selling as many cars as they hoped to. The company also had high import costs of components. MG Rover said it would attempt to preserve as many jobs as possible by relocating production line employees to other areas of employment.

Scattered Paperwork And Floppy Computer Disks Are Left Behind

The abrupt departure of staff as the plant was being abandoned is evident by the scattered paperwork that is now yellowing with age, smeared with grease, and covered in dust and debris. The floppy disk carelessly tossed in a pile seems to indicate an employee may have been quickly going through their belongings in preparation to leave the building. One of the documents careless tossed is a course brochure formerly used by MG Rover’s training department, and another document shows an indemnity form used by the company with the customer’s initials on it. Everything in the plant remains exactly as it was left behind by the former workers and its appearance is one of being frozen in time.

The Main Entrance Of MG Rover Longbridge Plant

The main entrance of MG Rover Longbridge Plant is visible in the photograph. Outside the main doors, flies the Union Flag, MG flag, and the flag of China. MG Motors was sad to announce that their plant was closing in the UK. Chinese automaker, Nanjing Automobile, acquired the plant for 53 million pounds or $97 million U.S. dollars and they would be moving production to China. MG Motors stated they would try to move production workers into other roles, but considered relocating the plant abroad a necessary business decision. The cars would arrive in the UK fully built and ready for distribution. All MG Motor vehicles are currently being assembled in China, and the company is the largest importer of Chinese made cars into the UK.

Deserted Body Shell Of The Rover 75

All over the factory, auto parts and body shells of the Rover 75 are left on or near the production line over a decade after the plant was shut down. Photographer Dab Hand was among the few people able to get a rare peek inside the abandoned factory that opened in 1905. The photographer commented about the eerie silence in the enormous plant. It was so empty and large that the smallest sound echoed and he could even hear pigeons landing on the roof. The unfinished cars and scattered personal belongings of former workers, made the plant appear haunted or as if people would come back to fill up the place at any moment, but you know they never would.

A Large Rain Puddle Reveals The Vastness Of The Plant

At first glance, this photograph appears to depict multi levels taken from the upper floor level. Upon closer inspection, one can see the very large rain puddle accumulated on the floor of the plant and in it reflects the complex maze of upper floors and indicates the vastness of the Longbridge plant in Birmingham. Although the plant was shut down in 2005 and remained almost completely unused and abandoned for over a decade, the plant appears in this photograph exactly as it was left behind on the last day of production. The plant was founded by Herbert Austin and had been in operation off-and on for almost a century.

Spare Auto Parts Remain Unused

This massive storage room at Longbridge plant shown in this photograph houses auto parts in large containers that remain unused. Over a decade ago, production line workers would be taking spare auto parts from this storage area, and fitting Rover 75’s with them. The room remains as it was when the Longbridge plant was closed in 2005. Smaller auto parts still located on the shelves, larger auto parts in big containers, and dust and debris on the floor. The safety markers have not faded and are still brightly painted with yellow and black stripes. It is hard to believe that this room has been vacant of workers for over a decade.

Never-To-Be-Used Rover 75 Door Handles

These dusty door handles (one appears shined for the photograph) in various colours including yellow, blue, red, and black, will never be attached to the shell of a Rover 75 as they were made to. The many crates containing door handles reveal a glimpse of how busy the production line used to be before it ceased to operate in 2005. The various colors of door handles reveal the popularity of the model as demand for the car in various colours was high. The Rover 75’s first model came out in 1999, and eight models were produced before the model was discontinued in 2005 with the closure and sale of the plant.

An Image Of The Longbridge Production Line In 1979

In the 1980s, the plant employed twenty-five thousand, workers. This photograph depicted the production line in 1979, and the popularity of the vehicle is evident by the bustling production line. This starkly contrasts the haunting images of the abandoned factory decades later, where not a soul stands on the production line, and Rover 75s remain unfinished, dusty and rusting. Auto parts remain unfitted in their containers, and although the plant itself is in good shape, the normal wear and tear of the building are evident by the excess debris littering the place and the rain water leaking through the ceiling, which left puddles on the floor.

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Originally written for Auto Info

(http://autoinfo.com/toptens/history/the-automobile-factory-where-time-has-stopped-haunting-photos-of-the-famous-longbridge-mg-rover-plant/)