Peugeot Expert and Citroen Dispatch vans are now being assembled at Vauxhall’s Luton plant alongside Vauxhall’s own Vivaro. The three models share the same basic design, and all three brands are owned by PSA Group.
Peugeots have not been produced on this side of the Channel since the French manufacturer shut its Ryton, Coventry factory in 2006. The last Citroens to be built in the UK rolled out of the company’s plant in Slough as long ago as 1965.
PSA acquired Vauxhall and Opel – Vauxhall’s mainland Europe sister brand – from General Motors in 2017. Since then it has pumped over £100m into the Luton facility with the aim of boosting output from around 60,000 units annually – 62,643 were built in 2018 – to closer to 100,000.
Building Experts and Dispatches as well as Vivaros will go some way towards helping it achieve its target.
Pressings for the trio are at present shipped over from France, but will be produced in Luton in a few months’ time, says Vauxhall. The manufacturer was unwilling to disclose the production split between the three models, or to say whether Toyota’s Proace, which shares their design, will be made in Luton too.
PSA recently signed a 50/50 merger deal with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.
