The milestone Vivaro was handed over to BT Fleet, Vauxhall’s biggest Vivaro customer.
Vauxhall is the UK’s number one commercial vehicle maker, a position the manufacturer has held for 13 years since Vivaro production started. The lynchpin of Vauxhall’s top-selling van range, almost 250,000 Vivaros have been sold in the UK including 24,500 so far this year.
Vauxhall chairman and managing director Rory Palmer said: “We are very proud to celebrate this milestone at our Luton manufacturing plant.
"Our hardworking and dedicated workforce at Luton produce vehicles of exceptional quality so it is no surprise these UK-built Vivaro vans are so successful in the marketplace.”
BT Fleet has purchased more than 13,000 Vivaros from Vauxhall over the last 11 years. Senior customer relationship manager Mike Langford said: “The van has evolved over time to meet the changing needs of our workforce, and I believe the vans we are taking delivery of at the moment are their best yet.
"We work very closely with manufacturers like Vauxhall to source the right product that is able to meet the needs of our people today and for the next five to seven years.
"Key to us when deciding which product to buy is working very closely with the people who will be driving the vans, manufacturers and converters to get the right product aligned to our business needs and strategy."
Vauxhall’s all-new Vivaro, launched in 2014, secured 1,500 jobs at the UK’s last van manufacturing plant after workers won a ten-year contract and a £185 million investment. The Luton plant beat world class competition from across Europe to build the new van.
Rival manufacturer Ford shut its Transit factory in Southampton 2013 making Vauxhall’s Luton facility the sole flag bearer for UK van manufacturing, on a site where over eight million vehicles have been built since 1905.
The factory is a major exporter with 52% of production destined for European markets.
