World War II

When the Second World War began, many Vauxhall workers were called up to serve. Those remaining quickly shifted the factory from car production to military manufacturing. To protect the site from being attacked blackout measures were introduced, which took over 6 weeks to install. Within 89 days, a new engine was designed, built, and tested, and within a year, the first Churchill tank was completed. By the end of the 6 year conflict, Vauxhall had produced 250,000 Bedford Trucks, 5640 Churchill tanks, and millions of parts and components, making a huge contribution to Britain's war effort.