IBC Vehicles

IBC Vehicles has its roots in Bedford Vehicles, the van manufacturing subsidiary of Vauxhall.

In 1986 the Bedford Vehicles van factory in Luton was reorganised as a joint venture with Isuzu. The resulting company was named IBC Vehicles (Isuzu Bedford Company Limited). Its first product was the Bedford Midi - a badge engineered clone of the Isuzu Fargo midsize panel van, intended to replace the ageing Bedford CF. The Suzuki-based Bedford Rascal microvan followed in 1987. In 1992 the factory produced a European version of the Isuzu Wizard aka Amigo 4WD called the Opel/Vauxhall Frontera and the Isuzu MU aka Trooper 4WD called the Opel/Vauxhall Monterey and a range of Renault-designed vans sold under the Vauxhall and Opel brand names. The Bedford name was dropped completely as were all of its preceding range apart from the Midi. The Frontera A was produced from 1992 - 1998 and the Frontera B 1998 - 2004.

In 1998 GM bought Isuzu out of the IBC partnership[3] and renamed the plant to GMM Luton.

GMM Luton produced the Opel/Vauxhall Vivaro A, Renault Trafic and Nissan Primastar from 2001 to 2014. The Hi-top roof versions were built in Barcelona, Spain by Renault at the former Nissan Plant because the Luton IBC building was not high enough to accommodate the Hi-top vehicles.[4] By 2011, the plant had produced 1.25 million vehicles since the 2001 launch, with production now down to 68,000 vehicles a year, with a capacity for 100,000.

Opel/Vauxhall announced in 2011 that the 2013 Vivaro would continue production at Luton and the high roof versions and the Renault Trafic would be manufactured at Sandouville, France.[5]

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  Opel/Vauxhall Vivaro (facelift)
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  Opel/Vauxhall Vivaro (facelift)

• Luton Plant. Facts and Figures