Production figures

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CAR
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Production figures

#1 Post by CAR » Fri Jan 30, 2015 1:04 pm

Very interesting piece in the latest SIXappeal about production figures and dates. Well done Mr. President.
Having looked at the total production of saloon and estate PIs for 1970 and the first chassis number for 1971, I know that FRanK was just 'born' in 1970.
Having divided 10070 cars produced by 52 wks I reckon he was born around Christmas, so should perhaps have been called Rudolf. His commission number is well within the last 193.65 cars of the year so the last week of December?
So that would be my question, does anyone know how the cars were produced? Was there a separate PI line or did all 2000 and 2500s come down the same line? Was there an annual Christmas shutdown?
Actually 3 questions!

Great magazine again Kevin btw.

Colin
Colin and Amanda Radford
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'75'N' 2500S CARMINE ESTATE France easter'09, RBRR'10,'12. TEAM 48 RBRR'16 'HOE'
'71'J' 2.5PI VALENCIA SALOON France easter'10, RBRR'14 'FRanK'
'69'G' VALENCIA SALOON c/w BMW 2.5 24valve and 5spd box 'JO'

JimB
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Re: Production figures

#2 Post by JimB » Fri Jan 30, 2015 3:25 pm

In my direct experience of car manufacturing in the West Midlands, Colin:

1 and 2. They were probably all produced down the same final assembly production line, perhaps built in paint colour batches. In comparison with modern cars, the Big Sixes were really simple, with a very low number of variants (steer, paint, trim, engine, body...), especially given the minimal options list. I'm guessing that the production sequencing was only forecast about six months in advance - internal and external suppliers would have to have enough time to react to changes in weekly demand for various assemblies and components. The "call-off" as it's known would be refined a month or so out. In the interim, the factory would hope to fill as many production slots as possible with dealer or distributor orders, without needing to build cars for stock, since gaps on an assembly line are still a capital offence :lol: It would then fall to the production schedulers to launch orders into Body-In-White (BIW, when the bodies are welded together), then put them in a buffer before moving them into paint, then take them out of paint, buffer them again and then launch them onto the final assembly line. The buffers are simply holding areas. At the time, the production schedulers' logistics colleagues would have to make sure that all the various assemblies were ready lineside to build the painted bodies into finished cars. It's a complex business!

3. There would have been fixed Easter, Summer and Christmas shutdowns so that Canley and all of their suppliers had a opportunity to carry out major maintenance or prepare for new products.

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Jonathan Lewis
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Re: Production figures

#3 Post by Jonathan Lewis » Fri Jan 30, 2015 3:26 pm

CAR wrote:So that would be my question, does anyone know how the cars were produced? Was there a separate PI line or did all 2000 and 2500s come down the same line?
Same line, I think, Colin, which I believe also handled Stag final assembly for the last few months of production. I have also been led to believe that PIs tended to be made in batches, though whether that was over the entire production period or just for part of it, I don't know...

Regards,

Jonathan

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Re: Production figures

#4 Post by docwad » Mon Feb 02, 2015 8:46 pm

My pi saloon was born 3/12/70
Despatched 7/12/70 exactly 1 month younger than my goodself.
Mg 12074 if any help to placing your car colin
MK1 GT6 1968 C toC 2021
Mk2 PI 1970 RBRR 2016

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CAR
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Re: Production figures

#5 Post by CAR » Mon Feb 02, 2015 10:01 pm

They seem to have been very busy in December 1970 then as my car is over a 1000 after yours but still before the first chassis no in jan 71. Perhaps the body number would be the one to look at. How/when were chassis numbers allocated I wonder?

Colin.
Colin and Amanda Radford
Register Show Organisers and Directors
'75'N' 2500S CARMINE ESTATE France easter'09, RBRR'10,'12. TEAM 48 RBRR'16 'HOE'
'71'J' 2.5PI VALENCIA SALOON France easter'10, RBRR'14 'FRanK'
'69'G' VALENCIA SALOON c/w BMW 2.5 24valve and 5spd box 'JO'

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Re: Production figures

#6 Post by multipleprototypes » Tue Feb 03, 2015 8:08 am

Production figures for 2.5 PI saloon for December 1970 were;

No cars first two weeks then 594 cars built in week ending 21/12/1970 (Production schedule P.3), and 195 cars built in week ending 28/12/1970 (Production schedule P.4).

Edit.

Looking at the production records again makes me think that the P.3 production period (w.e 30/11/70 to w.e 21/12/70) may have been a cumulative one.
Either there was a strike over that period (no models of any type shown for a 2 week period) or 3 weeks production was lumped together for the records.

This rings true as in 'normal' months the average PI saloon build seems to be around 200 units.
What do I know?

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Re: Production figures

#7 Post by multipleprototypes » Tue Feb 03, 2015 8:27 am

2.5 PI Estate production for 1970/71 (October to end of August) seems pretty lean at an average of just over 15 cars a week.
What do I know?

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CAR
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Re: Production figures

#8 Post by CAR » Tue Feb 03, 2015 12:33 pm

multipleprototypes wrote:Production figures for 2.5 PI saloon for December 1970 were;

No cars first two weeks then 594 cars built in week ending 21/12/1970 (Production schedule P.3), and 195 cars built in week ending 28/12/1970 (Production schedule P.4).

Edit.

Looking at the production records again makes me think that the P.3 production period (w.e 30/11/70 to w.e 21/12/70) may have been a cumulative one.
Either there was a strike over that period (no models of any type shown for a 2 week period) or 3 weeks production was lumped together for the records.

This rings true as in 'normal' months the average PI saloon build seems to be around 200 units.
So on that basis Dave my PI MG13172 would be in the last week, ending 28/12/70.
Do you have the ability to say what day it was produced? And why is Julian's car so much earlier via commission number but only 3-4 wks in production and do you know when the commission numbers are assigned?

Colin
Colin and Amanda Radford
Register Show Organisers and Directors
'75'N' 2500S CARMINE ESTATE France easter'09, RBRR'10,'12. TEAM 48 RBRR'16 'HOE'
'71'J' 2.5PI VALENCIA SALOON France easter'10, RBRR'14 'FRanK'
'69'G' VALENCIA SALOON c/w BMW 2.5 24valve and 5spd box 'JO'

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Re: Production figures

#9 Post by JimB » Tue Feb 03, 2015 2:28 pm

Modern practice is to assign the VIN as the painted body exits the paint buffer and goes onto the final assembly line.

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CAR
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Re: Production figures

#10 Post by CAR » Tue Feb 03, 2015 6:31 pm

JimB wrote:Modern practice is to assign the VIN as the painted body exits the paint buffer and goes onto the final assembly line.
But the VIN is pressed in the bodyshell in a few places on modern cars too isn't it Jim?

The body numbers are painted (aren't they) so that would have been applied before the painting stage. We need Dave to confirm what the process was at Canley I reckon. Come on Dave......please.

Colin
Colin and Amanda Radford
Register Show Organisers and Directors
'75'N' 2500S CARMINE ESTATE France easter'09, RBRR'10,'12. TEAM 48 RBRR'16 'HOE'
'71'J' 2.5PI VALENCIA SALOON France easter'10, RBRR'14 'FRanK'
'69'G' VALENCIA SALOON c/w BMW 2.5 24valve and 5spd box 'JO'

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