Bluebird fans visit Nissan factory

Thirty years after the first Bluebird rolled off the
production line, Nissan fans
brought their beloved cars back to the factory to see where it all began.
Enthusiasts
The 30 enthusiasts, members of the UK’s Bluebird Car Club,
enjoyed a VIP visit to Nissan Sunderland
Plant, meeting the employees who built their cars and viewing Nissan’s modern
manufacturing operations first-hand. Part of this year’s celebrations
marking Nissan’s
30th anniversary in the UK, the club invited members from across the
country to go ‘Back to the Future’ and see how car production has changed since
their Bluebirds were made.
Facilities
Bluebirds of all shapes and colours arrived from as far as
Cardiff, 310 miles away, to take part in a special tour of Nissan’s
record-breaking manufacturing facilities, joined by long-serving staff who
shared stories from the vehicle’s years in production in Sunderland.
Retro
Matt Welch, who drove his 1988 Bluebird 1.8 GS hatchback
from Newark, Nottinghamshire, said: “When I was a kid, everybody’s dad had a
Bluebird. I’ve always loved these cars because of their retro shape, and
growing up, my dream was to own one. A year ago, when I saw this perfectly
preserved model on eBay, I went cold. Then I knew, this was the car I’d always
wanted. I love it, it’s delicious; I get such a kick out of owning it. We have
two other Nissans,
however this is our favourite car which we take to shows and special events.”
Quality
Ian Marshall, who travelled from Cardiff in his 1989
Bluebird 2.0 Executive, said: “I’ve had this Bluebird T72 model for eight
years; it’s a fantastic car and in a world where most cars have a round shape
to them, a vehicle like this really stands out. Aside from its looks, the
Bluebird is also incredibly reliable, very well specified. Nissan really went to town
on the quality of these cars and really proved how well their cars are built.
Everything’s to a really high standard and still works in this vehicle; the
electric windows, sunroof, everything still works. I’ve also seen models that
haven’t been looked after at all and despite that, they just keep running and
running.”
Classic
Launched in 1986, the Nissan Bluebird 2.0 SGX was the
first model to roll off the line at the Sunderland Plant. In 1990, almost
200,000 cars later, Bluebird production was ceased. Kevin Fitzpatrick, Nissan’s
Vice President for Manufacturing in the UK, said: “There are some real
classics on the road today which we have built in Sunderland and which our
customers have taken to their hearts. The Bluebird is a great example of this.
It was the car that started our journey here in Sunderland and it’s always a
pleasure to meet customers who share our passion for Nissan vehicles.”
Sunderland Plant
The Sunderland Plant has grown to be the largest UK car plant of all time, supporting nearly 40,000 UK jobs and manufacturing one in three of all cars made in Britain.