TORQUE. assured. monza s ball Monza concept delights employees on first ever UK visit. Luton Plant s world-class quality control honoured by GM

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1 The magazine for Vauxhall staff and Retailers February 2014 TORQUE picture perfect Shoot like a pro with Graham Custance cold comfort Testing Vauxhall s 4x4s on a frozen lake quality assured Luton Plant s world-class quality control honoured by GM fix up look sharp A day in the life of a Service Technician monza s ball Monza concept delights employees on first ever UK visit

2 TORQUE february 2014 In THIS ISSUE 8 Monza's Ball: The winged concept swooped in to give UK employees a taste of the future GET IN TOUCH, make our day! Have an idea for a story? Please tell your on-site correspondent or the Editor at doug.peck@ vauxhall.co.uk. Events, personal and work-related achievements, efforts for charity, unusual or interesting hobbies or sports we want to know! This is your magazine, so tell us what you would like to see in it. EDITOR Doug Peck MANAGING EDITOR Jos Sharp, EDITORIAL PANEL Andrea Caumon, Andrew Biernacki, Andy Robson, Fiona Collins, Helen Parker, Marie Roberts, Martin Lay, Mike Hutchin, Sandy MacRitchie, Simon Hucknall 15 Tyre and Ice: Testing the stability systems on Vauxhall's cutting-edge 4x4 cars 24 Get the Shutterbug: Photographer Graham Custance on snapping the perfect frame 20 Quantum Mechanic: A day in the life of Senior Service Technician Jon Ceely REGULARS 03 IGNITION 11 GM NEWS 20 PEOPLE 25 HERITAGE 26 COMPETiTIONS 27 Marketplace 28 MEET THE TEAM page 7 our audience with sam cam CORRESPONDENTS Ellesmere Port plant Monica Raisbeck, Leigh Rimmer Griffin House Annisa Whitehall Luton plant Charlotte MacLaren Warehouse Faye Johnson, Saskia Farrant PHOTO credits Rob Johns/UNP (Cover, p16&17, 20) Mike Poloway/UNP (p28) Please share or recycle this magazine Torque is written, designed and produced by beetroot, 68 Leonard Street, London EC2A 4QX (Tel: , Fax: ), and printed by Newnorth, on behalf of General Motors UK Limited, Luton. Corrections, complaints, queries, suggestions? Mail doug.peck@ beetroot.co.uk 02 TORQUE magazine

3 ignition Alex swaps gold for green Pretty oar-some: Alex Gregory is the proud new owner of an Ampera Olympic rowing hero Alex Gregory MBE has just taken delivery of a new Ampera Electron, Vauxhall s revolutionary extended-range electric vehicle. The Olympic gold medallist was part of the coxless fours GB team who powered to a famous victory over the Aussies at Dorney Lake during the London 2012 Olympic Games. He has just taken delivery of a top-of-the-range Ampera which boasts voice-activated satellite navigation, audio/video DVD player, a hard drive audio device with 30GB capacity and a Bose Energy Efficient Series sound system. I am really excited about driving a brand new Vauxhall Ampera," said Alex. I was very interested in working with Vauxhall and the Ampera because of its environmental link to myself and rowing on the open rivers." We are very pleased to be working with Alex Gregory MBE, said Vauxhall Chairman and Managing Director Duncan Aldred. It is great to work with somebody who has achieved so much to such a high level. The Vauxhall Ampera is a car which pushes boundaries and goes further. These are certainly attributes we feel Alex demonstrates daily, challenging his limits and showing sheer determination. february

4 IGNITION NEWS FROM VAUXHALL VIEW FROM THE TOP What a year! DUNCAN ALDRED CHAIRMAN & MD, VAUXHALL MOTORS For the first issue of Torque this year, it gives me great pleasure to share some of the fantastic results that Vauxhall achieved to close out A sustained push to improve our SSS score really paid off, with a record monthly score in December of 84 per cent. Our PSS score wasn t quite as encouraging being 0.6 points down in the month to 89.6 per cent, but overall there was steady improvement throughout the year for both metrics. Vauxhall also became the UK s bestselling manufacturer in December with sales of 21,302 and a market share of per cent, up 0.76 percentage points over December Our commercial vehicles performed particularly strongly, with total LCV sales up 55.4 per cent compared with December There was still plenty of appetite for the Vivaro, which was number one in the Van-D segment at a Retail level, and number two at Total and Fleet. The Vauxhall Parts Central Billing programme also had a record December, delivering 1.2 million of parts sales and contributing to a 25 per cent increase in sales from Vauxhall UK national accounts year on year. In addition, terms have been agreed with UK Assistance, the national chain of body shops owned by Royal Bank of Scotland, to purchase parts worth 3 million per year. Looking ahead, our cars will benefit from several new engine launches and we also have the new Vivaro to look forward to. I d also like to remind everyone of our forthcoming assessment for Investors in People Gold Standard which begins on 24 February; becoming an employer of choice with the most desirable products is key to becoming the best automotive company in the UK. The annual report on sales figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders gave Vauxhall yet another reason to celebrate in its 110th year. They showed a massive 12 per cent increase in Vauxhall sales compared to 2012, increasing our market share to per cent and making the UK GM s fourth largest market worldwide. Strong sales The raft of new models like ADAM and Mokka helped generate sales of 289,301 cars and vans last year, with December showing particularly strong results. Over 21,000 cars were sold, making Vauxhall the bestselling manufacturer that month with a market share of per cent. Programmes like Vauxhall Flexible Finance and Lifetime Warranty boosted retail sales to 9.6 per cent, with the new Insignia and Zafira topping their segments. Home nations success It was equally good news for Northern Ireland, with Vauxhall maintaining its position as the number one car manufacturer for private buyers for the second year running, with over 3,500 cars sold. North of the border, Vauxhall was the biggest-selling manufacturer in Scotland last year - for the sixth year running - with 27,739 cars sold. The ever-popular Corsa played a major part in this success, being Scotland s top-selling car for the sixth time in a row. Key to growth - sales were up 12 per cent in 2013 CVs up over a third It was another huge year for our Commercial Vehicles, with Vivaro sales up 34 per cent on last year to 18,180. Vauxhall also remained the number one supplier to police fleets with a substantial 80 per cent market share of competitive segments. It s a great way for Vauxhall to celebrate its 110th year of building and selling vehicles in Britain, said Managing Director Duncan Aldred. We re also in the middle of a raft of new engine launches, which will continue for the next two years, making our products more refined, efficient and desirable for customers. One way or another, it s clear that Vauxhall will be a force to be reckoned with in % Increase in sales from ,301 Total cars and vans sold in % 2013 market share 04 TORQUE magazine

5 Farewell Duncan! Duncan Aldred, chairman and Managing Director of Vauxhall Motors and CEO of Opel Ireland has been appointed US Vice President, Buick-GMC Sales, Service and Marketing. He will be based at GM s global headquarters in Detroit from 1 March Duncan joined Vauxhall as an undergraduate at Ellesmere Port plant in 1990 and, with Vauxhall sponsorship, went on to graduate from Liverpool John Moores University with a BA (Hons) in He subsequently worked in various positions in Vauxhall sales and marketing and was appointed Retail Sales Director in In July 2006 he moved to Budapest as Director, Sales, Marketing and Aftersales for GM s South East Europe region, transferring to Germany to take the role of Sales Operations Director for GM Europe in Returning to the UK in January 2010, he became Managing Director of Vauxhall Motors, and took the assignment of acting Vice President, Sales, Marketing and Aftersales for Opel/Vauxhall in January Duncan has presided over the launch of over a dozen new models and successfully secured two all-new models for Luton and Ellesmere Port plants. A successor will be announced in due course, and we wish Duncan all the best in his new challenge. Duncan has presided over the launch of over a dozen new models and successfully secured two allnew models for Luton and Ellesmere Port plants The hard work of an Ellesmere Port graduate has been recognised through a nomination for SEMTA s prestigious Graduate of the Year award. Andrew Lambert started life at Vauxhall as an apprentice and, after attaining a first class degree in Mechanical Engineering, has made a considerable impact to quality testing at the Cheshire manufacturing plant. He was shortlisted for the award by the Sector Skills Council for science, Andrew Lambert's nomination sparked media interest Con-grad-ulations! engineering and manufacturing after being put forward by Ellesmere Port Plant Quality Manager Ian Dodd. They were clearly impressed by his achievements, as Ian explained: His work on improving the quality of the end of line test procedure here has resulted in significant improvements for the First Time Quality/DRR (Direct Run Ratio). He has played a key role in the launch of the next-generation Astra, from the installation and commissioning of the new GTS (Global Test System) equipment to the creation and implementation of new test sequences. Andrew has a great work ethic, excellent communication skills and has developed solid working relationships with all levels of employees. Through his achievements professionally and personally I feel he truly deserves to win the award. This is not the first time Andrew s dedication to engineering excellence has been recognised; he previously won Vauxhall s Apprentice of the Year award twice, and also gained the West Cheshire College Apprentice of the Year Award in the same year. Andrew is thrilled to have been nominated for this award, commenting: The diversity, complexity and responsibility that my role offers me continually makes me realise how content I am that I chose engineering as my career path. To win would be the achievement of a lifetime, it would prove to myself and other students that determination and passion can drive you to achieve great accolades. The awards will be announced on 12 February at a gala awards dinner in London s Park Plaza, Riverbank. Watch this space! february

6 IGNITION NEWS FROM VAUXHALL Girl power! A group of ultimate Vauxhall ladies recently got to rub shoulders with inspirational women and celebrities at the Cosmopolitan Ultimate Women of the Year Awards. Sponsored by ADAM, the glittering event hosted by Fearne Cotton was held to showcase women who had overcome adversity and shown true bravery in challenging circumstances. The collection of 13 Vauxhall PAs from Griffin House who attended the ceremony might well say that description has applied to them at one time or another. PA Simone Porter commented: It was an amazing night and all the PAs were so excited to be given the opportunity to attend the event by Duncan in recognition of what we do for our bosses. From when we arrived and saw the ADAM dancers with the cars outside surrounded by paparazzi, to being inspired by what the Ultimate Women who won the awards had done in their lives, it was a very special evening. They got to meet a variety of famous faces at the event held in London s V&A Museum including Gary Barlow, X Factor winner Sam Bailey, Nicole Scherzinger and Ellie Goulding. ADAM was front of house on the red carpet, forming the centrepiece for an exciting display of urban dance while several ADAMs were also used to ferry VIPs to the event. We re delighted Vauxhall ADAM has decided to partner with us for our Ultimate Women of the Year Awards, said Ella Dolphin, Publishing Director of Glamorous Sam Bailey with ADAM Vauxhall employees joined Cosmo's ultimate women The Fantastic Four A quartet of special Vauxhalls are due to debut this year with the release of new Limited Edition models of Astra GTC, Astra five-door hatchback, Insignia and Corsa. The new versions of these popular cars provide a far more generous level of equipment and boast some striking visual enhancements found on some of their sportier brethren. For example, the new Astra GTC Limited Edition comes complete with over 2,000-worth of extra specification yet is priced from just 19,995. It receives unique 20-inch bi-colour alloy wheels, a VXR styling kit, front fog lights, dark tinted rear glass and bluetooth mobile phone system. Even better for customers is the fact that the new range can be bought through Vauxhall s Flexible Finance and Flexible PCP plans. All buyers have to do is choose and specify their new model at www. vauxhall.co.uk, decide on a deposit from zero upwards and select any term between 24 and 60 months. Customers also benefit from zero per cent APR. We are delighted to announce these Limited Editions with exceptional standard spec and prices from just 8,995, said Stuart Harris, Head of Carline Brand. stunning good looks, exceptional standard spec and prices starting from just 8, TORQUE magazine

7 Cosmopolitan. Like Cosmopolitan, Vauxhall ADAM is all about empowering women and is an astute car manufacturer which understands its audience inside out. Abygail Bradley's lipstick-design cover Ian Mitchell, Brand Manager at won the judges over Vauxhall ADAM, said. ADAM is about expressing your personality and setting trends. As one of the most iconic brands in the publishing world, Cosmopolitan is the perfect partner for us to communicate the unique appeal of the ADAM to their prolific and engaged audience. ADAM is about expressing your personality and setting trends. As one of the most iconic brands in the publishing world, Cosmopolitan is the perfect partner for us Look who's stalking The ADAM sponsorship also extended to the Ultimate Creative Award, a special competition to design a Cosmo front cover - the first time this had ever been allowed at the magazine. The winning lipstick-inspired design from 20-year-old Abygail Bradley was chosen from six shortlisted designs and now appears on all subscription editions of Cosmopolitan. It also features as the opener to the Ultimate Women of the Year results section in the newsstand January 2014 edition. Congratulations to Abygail! An Audience with Sam Cam As part of the awards, Vauxhall employees Jobeth Harvey and Samara Nicholls were invited to meet the Prime Minister s wife, Samantha Cameron. It was truly unique, as Jobeth writes. The afternoon started with photos outside the famous front door, before heading inside and climbing the grand staircase the famous one in Love Actually! We were then led into the drawing room where the award winners were mingling, and while listening to all the inspirational stories Sam Cam floated in. She was very friendly and natural and had clearly done her homework on all of the stories, she seemed passionate about each of the ladies triumphs. There was another photo opportunity with Samantha in another grand room, which we later found out was Winston Churchill s bedroom! We then got whisked away for a whistle-stop tour of the house. We visited the Cabinet Room and were able to sit in the same chairs that some of the most important figures in history have sat. Overall, it was a very exciting and memorable day! Samara and Jobeth outside that famous front door Diligence, enthusiasm and drive Congratulations to Mariyam Surve, Retail Sales Support and B2B Coordinator at Griffin House, who was recently presented with an EXCITE award in December. Mariyam has only recently returned to Vauxhall after her time here as an undergrad, but she has already made a significant impact according to one of her nominations: She has taken on many of the B2B responsibilities, from the programmes side to supporting the field team, and has gone the extra mile to ensure she fully understands everything she has been tasked with. Any job she is given she puts in 110 per cent and Mariyam receives the hallowed nothing is too much trouble. trophy from MD Another nomination praised her Duncan Aldred ability to take on and complete tasks outside of her normal work: She exceeded expectations in the level of diligence, enthusiasm and customer-driven focus to get the project completed to the highest standard, within deadline and without any compromise. "All this was achieved without a hint of frustration despite multiple requirement changes and always with a smile on her face. Mariyam wins 100 in vouchers, a front-of-house parking space and the coveted EXCITE trophy for a month. february

8 IGNITION NEWS FROM VAUXHALL Monza s Ball Vauxhall s futuristic Monza concept stunned employees and members of the press when they got the chance to see it up close during its recent UK debut. Unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show last year, the greyhound-inspired form and next-generation technology wowed the crowds, and it was no different when it was driven over from Germany to spend a week in the UK. After a photoshoot inside an aircraft hangar with a Panavia Tornado jet, journalists from Huffington Post, The Sun, The Telegraph and Metro got to drive it and interviewed Chief Opel Designer Boris Jacobs. It was then presented to employees at Griffin House in Luton, where employees rushed down to see the inside and outside of the vehicle. The Sun journalist Ken Gibson said: Every now and then a car comes along that shocks you. Usually it is a supercar but occasionally it comes from a mainstream manufacturer taking a gamble. The Vauxhall Monza concept fits perfectly into that category, it is the most stunning Vauxhall ever built. One Vauxhall employee was just as impressed: I thought it looked amazing when I saw the photographs, but in the flesh it's a hundred times better. What an amazing vehicle. Tech of the town Dashing good looks LED projectors light up Monza's dash l Three cameras mounted in the doors and rear badge replace wing and rear view mirrors l 18 LED projectors in the Human-Machine-Interface (HMI) dashboard display create an illusion of one full display l The futuristic gullwing doors open by swiping your finger, mimicking the action of unlocking an iphone Accolades at Autosport Vauxhall s incredible attempt to break 18 endurance records with a standard diesel Astra was recently validated in front of thousands of motorsport fans on one of the biggest stages in motorsport. After months of careful verification, the two governing bodies of motorsport finally confirmed that Vauxhall had indeed broken 12 international and six UK records following a 24-hour high speed run at the Millbrook Proving Ground in December. Set a-drift in VXR8 GTS, recently launched at Autosport International They chose to make the announcement at the Autosport International Racing Car Show at Birmingham s NEC, where Duncan Aldred, Vauxhall s Chairman and Managing Director, and Volker Strycek, Head of OPC and Opel Motorsport, received a trophy and certificate from Alan Gow, Chairman of the MSA. We re over the moon with today s news, said Vauxhall's PR Manager Simon Hucknall. This was an important test for the Astra, and it proved that a car with the qualities that most motorists are after exceptional reliability, a good performance/economy blend and long-distance comfort can be found at their nearest Vauxhall showroom. But the attempt was also a success thanks to the stamina and skill of our driving team, who performed faultlessly throughout the attempt. The Autosport show was also chosen as the venue to unveil to the public the awesome new VXR8 GTS, Vauxhall s 576-horsepower super-saloon. As the most powerful production car ever produced by Vauxhall, it has eclipsed even the mighty Lotus Carlton (which was also drawing crowds at the Pistonheads stand at the show) as one of the world s most ferocious family wagons. 08 TORQUE magazine

9 96 per cent vauxhall's OVERALL total score Three fleet high Three is the magic number for Vauxhall s fleet website, which has won Business Car magazine s Fleet Website of the Year for the third year in a row. With an overall score of 96 per cent, Vauxhall s total was up two per cent on 2012 and up eight per cent on Second place Fleet feat it's three in a row for Vauxhall's fleet website Audi were a significant 14 per cent behind. The list of useful extras goes on and on, but the basics are right as well, said Paul Barker, Editor of Business Car. Checking a P11D is simple (even the writing down allowance percentage is listed) and the site looks good without compromising ease of use. The mobile site is one of few to have a section for company car drivers, and the Roadtrip app for mileage expenses is one of the most useful we can think of. We re delighted that our fleet website has been recognised by Business Car magazine for the third year running, as we are continually seeking to enhance our website and user journeys to provide the service that fleet operators and company car drivers demand, said Paul Adler, Vauxhall s Fleet Marketing and Motability Manager. To keep ahead of the pack the site received improved navigation and aesthetics, and will offer even more functionality in future, according to Paul: Our Whole Life Cost Calculator is the best in the business but we wanted to offer a more streamlined version for smaller businesses without a dedicated fleet manager. The person responsible might not have the time to input all the data currently needed so we re working on a version that allows much quicker comparisons. Pedal to the medal The end of the year saw a flourish of awards for Vauxhall s commercial vehicles, with Vivaro, Combo and Corsavan all being singled out for praise. What Van magazine bestowed their Light Van of the Year award to the Combo for the second year in a row, beating competition such as the Mercedes Citan in a tightlycontested segment. Sharing the award with its twin, the Fiat Doblo, the judges were impressed with Combo s tidy looks, wide range of derivatives, solid build quality and reliability, low running costs and excellent driveability. The same judges also presented their first ever Hall of Fame award to the Luton-built Vivaro, singling it out for making the largest contribution of all to UK light commercial vehicle manufacturing. They also praised it for its enduring good looks, recalling how when it was first launched one Vauxhall PR person said: If Batman drove a van it would look a bit like this! Despite its radical looks, What Van admits that Vivaro hasn t dated and appears to have been ahead of its time in emphasising design values in the light commercial sector a trend that other manufacturers have since followed. The final accolade goes to Vauxhall s Corsavan, which garnered the Best Delivery Van title from influential website They were won over by the diminutive CV s dashing good looks, low running costs and cabin space, noting that it feels more like a sports car than a commercial vehicle. Award-winning Vivaro, Combo and Corsavan february

10 IGNITION NEWS FROM VAUXHALL Care in the community Vauxhall s Community Projects have inspired thousands of young minds about the value of STEM subjects T his year has seen the transition of the three Vauxhall Community Projects Griffin s Den, Vans R Us and the Ellesmere Port Community Project into the capable hands of our new undergraduate leadership teams. The project s aim is to improve students awareness of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM subjects) and inspire young people to pursue opportunities within the STEM sector. Thanks to the leaders hard work and the support of Vauxhall employees many students have significantly enhanced their business skills and improved their knowledge of the industry. Griffin House Griffin House s Community Project is called Griffin s Den and offers 12-to 14- year-old students the opportunity to design, build and sell a car. Students will have the chance to pitch their cars to the judges, known as The Griffins, and the day culminates in a prizegiving ceremony. This year, Griffin s Den will focus on raising awareness of apprenticeships and undergraduate careers at Vauxhall for over 500 students aged 12 to 16. Many second and third year commercial apprentices have now joined the undergraduates as STEM Ambassadors to help endorse the Vauxhall apprenticeship scheme while also helping run the day s activities. The pioneering event the students are very impressed with the day was recently delivered to a group of 30 gifted year 10 and 11 students at Manshead Upper School. Their efforts were impressive they even designed and produced branded key rings to support their pitches to the judges! Ellesmere Port STEM Ambassadors at Ellesmere Port are currently focusing on raising students business and careers awareness by providing a real insight into their roles in manufacturing and how they achieved their positions within Vauxhall. The interactive project is also designed to get students aged 11 to 18 thinking about how to run a profitable manufacturing business, and the winning team of the year will be presented with a signed England football shirt. Luton Plant Vans R Us is delivered to over 80 primary school children each month, offering a hands-on exploration of the manufacturing industry. Some 16 undergraduates are responsible for coordinating full-day workshops, which get students competing for a prize by designing and creating their own factory, product and business plan. The effectiveness of Vans R Us in supporting the local community is clear, according to Mary Jankiewicz, Careers Advisor at Putteridge High School in Luton: I hope this becomes a long lasting relationship with Vauxhall, we are incredibly grateful to Vauxhall for Pitch perfect students get ready to present their ideas to the Griffins providing our students with a notion of real-world business, the students are very impressed with the day. Following the successes of the projects over the last few weeks, the project teams would like to thank the undergraduates and apprentices for their continued support, which has been pivotal to the community projects success. CAN WE HELP? We are always looking to expand our community footprint, so if any Vauxhall employees are affiliated to a local educational establishment which they believe will benefit from one of our community projects, please get in touch with the project teams for the relevant site using the following contact details and we will endeavour to arrange a visit. GRIFFIN'S DEN Luke Brittle / luke.brittle@vauxall.co.uk / #6528 VANS 'R' US Jenny Lokko / jennifer.lokko@vauxhall. co.uk / #8242 ELLESMERE PORT COMMUNITY PROJECT Leigh Rimmer / leigh.rimmer@vauxhall. co.uk / # TORQUE magazine

11 IGNITION GM NEWS Vette tech sets the bar The hotly anticipated 2015 Corvette Z06 has now been revealed as Chevrolet s most advanced and track-capable car yet. The new model is firmly planted in supercar territory, incorporating unprecedented levels of aerodynamic downforce, an all-new eight-speed automatic transmission and a highly-efficient 6.2-litre supercharged V8 engine that delivers a trouser-soiling 625 horsepower. The designers of this extreme new version of the iconic two-seater have really gone to town. For example, the transmission has no less than five clutches and can execute wide-open A new GM CEO Dan Akerson has stepped erachuck down to make way for his successor Mary Barra, heralding a raft of senior management changes. Barra, former Executive VP of Global Product Development, Purchasing and Supply Chain, was elected by the Board of Directors to become the next CEO of the company, and will also join the GM Board. Theodore (Tim) Solso has been chosen to succeed Akerson as Chairman. I will leave with great satisfaction in what we have accomplished, great optimism over what is ahead and great pride that we are restoring General Motors as America s standard bearer in the global auto industry, Akerson said in a message to employees. GM's new CFO, Chuck Stevens throttle upshifts eight-hundredths of a second quicker than an equivalent Porsche 911. You can opt for carbonceramic brakes and even the mesh pattern on the front fascia was painstakingly designed to direct more air into the engine bay than if the grille was removed. Our mission with the seventhgeneration Corvette was to make the performance levels more accessible, enabling drivers to exploit every poundfoot of torque, every g of grip and every pound of downforce, commented Tadge Juechter, Corvette Chief Engineer. It s a philosophy we introduced with the 460-horsepower Corvette Stingray and one that s even more relevant with an estimated 625 horsepower at your beck and call. Yellow peril the meanest, baddest Corvette yet Stevens has also now taken over from Dan Ammann as Chief Financial Officer, and will be responsible for leading the company s global financial and accounting operations. Ammann was named Company President and will assume responsibility for managing the company s regional operations around the world. Mark Reuss will take on Barra s previous role while Alan Batey will replace Reuss as Executive VP and President, North America. Finally, Steve Girsky, Vice Chairman, Corporate Strategy, Business Development and Global Product Planning, will move to a senior advisor role until leaving the company in April. He will remain on the GM Board of Directors. SIDELIGHT Seeking Santa lus families travelling in GM vehicles were able to track Santa s progress around the world this Christmas simply by pressing the blue OnStar button. For the fifth consecutive year, OnStar is providing the service through collaboration with the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, Track Santa programme. The Santa Seeker Service added special magical feeling to our day, said OnStar subscriber Jocelyn Farkas. I am not sure who was more excited to go out on errands in the car my kids or my husband. Trophy life lchevrolet was the most successful name in professional motorsports in the United States this year, winning 14 titles in total. The racing outfit captured manufacturer, driver and team championships across NASCAR, IndyCar, ALMS, GRAND-AM and the Pirelli World Challenge series. We had an amazing year in 2013, winning more championships in professional motorsport than any other manufacturer, said Jim Campbell, General Motors US Vice President, Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. Our success was the direct result of considerable preparation, strategy and teamwork. We are looking forward to continuing that momentum for Plant investment l General Motors will invest nearly $1.3 billion in five US manufacturing sites to support new fuel-efficient engines and transmissions, enhance vehicle quality and streamline logistics. The investments in plants across Michigan, Ohio and Indiana will create or retain about 1,000 jobs, and support production of a new V6 engine, new 10-speed transmission and fund significant assembly plant upgrades. Today s announced plant upgrades continue the momentum of a resurgent auto industry, said GM Executive Vice President and North America President Mark Reuss. february

12 2013: the year in numbers 2013 was an incredible year for Vauxhall. New models were launched, manufacturing milestones were reached and we got a glimpse of the future in the stunning Monza concept. Here are some of the key figures from the year that was ,523 Money and services Vauxhall has donated to charity 18 UK and World Records set by a standard production Astra 19,182 Tonnes of metal recycled by UK manufacturing plants 6,000 Energy in megawatts saved by Luton manufacturing plant 250,000 Number of Astra Sport Tourers made by Ellesmere Port Plant to date 12 TORQUE magazine

13 289,279 New Vauxhall Cars and Vans sold 207,381 Net sales of aftermarket products 900,000 Vivaro vans built in Luton to date ,945 Facebook fans 285 Miles ridden by the London to Paris team 17,939 Twitter followers 6 teamgm Transformer Awards presented to Vauxhall employees february

14 environmental responsibility GREEN SPACE Luton Plant has made great strides in reducing its environmental impact in recent years, but the work doesn t stop there f or Luton Plant s Environmental Manager Niall Revell, managing the facility s environmental impacts and material resources goes far beyond minimising waste. Meeting the targets set by GM and the plant itself has required a mindset devoted to re-using and recycling; one that he has impressed upon his colleagues as well. Fundamentally, their job is to produce vans, so we ve had to make our policies as much a part of their job as possible. They ve seen that we re working with them and appreciate we re not trying to add a burden; giving them responsibility and asking them how they want it to work has been fundamental. Hundreds of tonnes of scrap metal from the press shop and cardboard packaging are collected, segregated and recycled, but as Niall explained, the responsible use of solvents is also important: They are re-used whenever possible on site until they become too contaminated and then are recycled into solvent for other industries to use. We place great importance on educating children about environmental issues Anything else is used as fuel in wasteto-energy generators because of the high energy content. Promoting the plant s responsibility to the community is also a key part of Niall s role: We place great importance on educating children about environmental issues and what we re doing to control them. We help shape the Vans R Us programme run by our undergrads to explain that we have very tightly controlled air emission limits, we recycle and segregate our waste as efficiently as possible, our trade effluent discharge results are excellent, and we are working hard to reduce all of our material and energy consumptions into the plant. Waste to Energy Luton Plant is aiming to be completely landfill-free by the second quarter of 2014, largely due to its innovative recycling and waste-to-energy initiatives. Niall explained: If the waste has a sufficient energy value then it can be reclaimed and essentially used as fuel in power generation. Some of our waste streams can also be important materials for other industries for example, our filter cakes are sent off to cement kilns to be used as an ingredient for bricks. Water Usage Any water savings that can be made help both the environment and the bottom line of the business. Luton Plant s recent site survey has identified up to 100,000 metres cubed of water savings per year. Leakages in the plant account for the bulk of this so we re looking at tightening this up. We re also understanding where, how and why we use water so we can ensure we are using it in the most efficient way possible. Energy Reduction The plant has saved nearly 6000MW in 2013 through new equipment and behavioural changes according to Niall: We do a daily energy report which goes to all units getting people to evaluate what they need and track usage is crucial to our success. An efficient new boiler went in last summer, while Dave Harvey and his Facilities team are also evaluating LED lighting and heat recovery pumps that extract heat from ground water to be used in the manufacturing process. 14 TORQUE magazine

15 brand management Tyre and Ice A group of guests took the phrase going for a spin quite literally when they drove 4x4 Vauxhalls across a frozen lake J ournalists can be slippery at the best of times, so they should have felt right at home trying out a range of Vauxhalls on an icy test site in Austria. Thirty UK and European members of the press were shown the benefits of the cutting-edge technology in our Insignia and Mokka 4x4 variants on a number of challenging test courses. Driving a Mokka 4x4, Insignia Country Tourer and Insignia OPC, they had to negotiate high speed chicanes, close manoeuvres and hilly sections on the frozen courses which were painstakingly built by the Opel/Vauxhall team. An experienced instructor was on hand to show them how features like Electronic Stability Control, Traction Control, Hill Start Assist and Hill Descent Control could help them tame the traction-free surface. The sophisticated adaptive 4x4 systems on the cars were shown off to full effect, and the Insignia s hydraulic Haldex multi-disk clutch kept most of the drivers pointing in the right direction. Sadly, even driving around the ice and snow track, trying to stay in between the cones and not die were my two top priorities with all the driving aids in the world it would seem you can t completely compensate for human error one journalist formally introduced his car to a tree! AskMen Editor Elysha Krupp was soon getting the hang of it: While driving around the ice and snow track, trying to stay in between the cones and not die were my two top priorities, while the German instructors yelled pointers to us through the walkietalkies in our cars. The cars handled well and I felt quite safe sliding around the track, experimenting with the occasional drift. Overall, it was a fantastic experience. WINTER DRIVING TIPS l Place your hands at 9 and 3 on the steering wheel rather than 10 and 2 l Sit with your back completely to the backrest so you can feel every movement of the car l Be firm with the brakes but do not brake too hard, this can cause you to over steer l If you breathe slower and stay calm and relaxed, you will be able to control the car better february

16 cover feature built in quality IV Enterprise Cheers to the future Luton Plant's employees celebrate with Plant Director Mike Wright and Vice President for Manufacturing, GME Peter Thom Quality assured Luton Plant celebrates being the first European GM assembly plant to receive the Built In Quality IV Enterprise accreditation s far as accolades go, it s one of the most prestigious that can be a awarded to a GM facility. Built In Quality (BIQ) IV Enterprise is a seal of approval for exceptionally high quality standards that has, until recently, only been achieved by two sites, both in China. Luton Plant now joins them as the first GM facility outside of Asia to meet BIQ s stringent measures and achieve the Level IV Enterprise accreditation, and Quality Manager Eric Fabbro is over the moon: It s recognition of a lot of hard work here and I m very proud of the achievement. It has meant a lot of change to the way we work but we ve accomplished something that makes a real difference to the business. To mark the occasion Peter Thom, Vice President of Manufacturing for GM Europe, visited the plant to hand over the 16 TORQUE magazine certificate to Plant Director Mike Wright, and commemorative workwear bearing the GMS logo and BIQ 4 insignia is being given to all plant employees. What is BIQ? Built In Quality is GM s system of measuring the performance of a plant s quality processes, and runs from level one up to five. BIQ IV Enterprise is the second highest level; it demonstrates that robust processes are in place that are supported by an engaged workforce, totally committed to delivering a product at the right quality level, on time, and at the lowest cost to the organisation. While BIQ by implication focuses on customer satisfaction, it equally balances the business efficiencies necessary that lead to long term sustainability. Finish line inspecting the quality of paintwork is a precise job

17 It's recognition of a lot of hard work here There are 95 GM Global Manufacturing Statements that need to be satisfied in order to achieve this accreditation, covering areas of the business from material handling, job instructions, employee knowledge and levels of engagement to levels of continuous improvement. How did Luton Plant achieve level IV? This award is the culmination of many years of dedicated work by the Luton team. The plant management set up an organisational team of champions and specific subject matter experts, known as the GMS team, to work on implementing these 95 statements. Everyone within the team took on the task over and above their normal daily activities, reflecting the Luton team s commitment and drive to succeed. It was important to make the GMS statements part of normal working as one Quality Manager Eric Fabbro believes Luton Plant s quality performance is all down to team work The BIQ accreditation is more than just a rubber stamp there are true business links between the quality of our products and our success as a facility. If you look at our history, we ve often worked with other OEMs such as Renault and Nissan. Having this level of quality assurance secures our current relationships and makes us a more attractive partner for potential joint ventures in future. There are three strands to delivering sustainable change systems, processes and people you have to have all three. The people side is the hardest part so a major factor in our success has been driving home the importance of looking out working life and embed them so that they described how we did business and not something we did that was additional. What does having this accreditation mean for the plant? Achieving Level IV is a goal for every GM manufacturing facility, yet no other vehicle assembly plant in Europe has achieved this award. When it comes to quality, the focus for Luton Plant has shifted from detection to prevention, a hallmark of manufacturing excellence. Who oversees the accreditation and what is involved in the assessment process? This is a global accreditation and is approved by the Vice President of Manufacturing for Europe, the Executive Director for Global Quality & Customer Experience, the Director of Global Manufacturing Systems for Europe, and the Director of Quality Operations for Europe. for each other. An operator knows what the finished standard quality of their work should be, but we also ask anyone else who works alongside them to keep their eyes open. It may not be your operation but we want a culture of alerting someone if you see something wrong so we can fix it. Mistakes happen, but if someone else can help identify, contain and rectify it we can make sure it doesn t get to the customer. Ultimately, like in any other team, you don t win on your own; you win by all players working together and helping each other, so that philosophy has been important to us. February

18 commercial vehicles Where are they now? This Vivaro may look standard, but it comes with one very important extra hen Llantrisant Community Council in Wales needed a new W van to support its community work, it turned to local Retailer Hutchings in Pontypridd. To their surprise, Car Sales Advisor Jonathan Hopkins included a specification not normally found on your average commercial vehicle, as Alison Jenkins, Clerk at Llantrisant Community Council remembered: Our summer operative always wears lots of hair gel to look his best, but has problems with his hair getting squashed by his ear defenders. It became a bit of a running joke between us so we got quite a surprise when the van turned up Jonathan had installed a pink vanity mirror in the passenger sun visor! It was a lovely little touch and made us all laugh. Llantrisant Community Council was particularly keen to source the new van through a local dealer to make maintenance easier, and couldn t be happier with the service they received through Jonathan. The last time we bought a van we had to arrange all our own signwriting, explained Alison. Hutchings had made sure that was all done for us this time which made everything so much easier, it turned up all ready to go. The new Vivaro will be used for a wide variety of functions in supporting Llantrisant Community Council s volunteer councillors, who play a vital role in enriching the local area. This could entail transporting new park benches, ferrying supplies for the Youth Club Tuck Shop or carrying lawnmowers and strimmers during summer to keep green spaces, such as Codgers Corner, under control. John Hutchings, Chairman of Hutchings Vauxhall in Pontypridd, was more than happy to help: Hutchings has supplied vehicles for diverse activities such as Refuse Collecting vehicles and Mobile Libraries, even Mayoral Cars! We are particularly pleased to supply our first vehicle to Llantrisant Council and very grateful that they chose Hutchings as their local supplier." Hutchings had made sure that it turned up all ready to go Car Sales Advisor Jonathan Hopkins hands over the keys to members of Llantrisant Community Council 18 TORQUE magazine

19 photo competition Viva Vivaro! Spot the Vivaro competition winner takes the perfect pic in sunny Spain he UK-built Vivaro van is the annual quarry for T Luton Plant s amateur photographers in the hotly-contested Spot the Vivaro photo competition, but this year s best snaps came from much further afield. Richard Clifton s winning photo came from Aviles in Northern Spain where he was lucky enough to spot a Vivaro driving in front of the stunning Oscar Niemeyer International Cultural Centre. The second year in a row he has won, Richard admitted the competition is fierce: There s a few strong photographers who go for it every year, there s quite a bit of banter and we re already working on entries for next year! We ve been looking at Vivaros for the last 12 years here so as soon as you re out anywhere you can spot them a mile off. The independent judges also commended the entries from runnersup Clive Bushen, who captured his image of a Vivaro in the Tuscan countryside in Italy, and Malcolm Moss, who captured his Vivaro at the Plaza De Espana in Seville, Spain. Runner-up: Malcolm Moss Vivaro keeping the peace in Seville, Spain Winner: Richard Clifton s Vivaro at the Centro Niemeyer in Aviles, Spain Runner-up: Clive Bushen s Vivaro taking in the Tuscan countryside, Italy february

20 OVERDRIVE PEOPLE A DAY IN THE LIFE Quantum mechanic Jon Ceely, a Senior Service Technician at Retailer Motorbodies, reveals the job is becoming more about software than spanners 8:00: Finally made it to work after dropping my children off at nursery and it looks like a busy day ahead. My first task is to carry out an MOT for a customer waiting in our Service Reception. Just before I clock on to the first job, our HR Manager calls and advises me that I need to carry out some virtual training from the GM academy! 9:00: One of my customers has returned with a recurring problem on his Insignia. I take them on a road test to understand the fault, and luckily I think I have understood what the issue is. After 45 minutes I am pleased that we have been able to fix the problem and the customer can continue to enjoy his day. Keeping Up After finishing his apprenticeship, Jon has spent over 20 years as a Motor Technician, 18 of them at Motorbodies. He has attained his Gold-level Vauxhall accreditation and has just completed his Automotive Technician Accreditation but said training is a constant requirement: You still need to go to the Vauxhall Academy to keep up with developments as they re constantly bringing out new engines and cars. It s a constant learning curve, especially considering a lot of fixes are due to software upgrades. 11:00: Looks like my training may have to be moved to the afternoon one of our customers has come into our reception with an expired MOT. Our Workshop Controller has asked if I can perform both a service and MOT on her vehicle. In order to do this I need to carry out a visual health check on the vehicle. Thankfully everything is green which is great news! 13:30: I finally get two hours to complete the GM academy training. This training is really important as it will prepare me for my course at the Vauxhall Academy in February. 15:30: Just finished my web-based training. It was very interesting, however as the products evolve the breadth of knowledge that you need really increases. Sometimes I feel like I need to be an electrician! Right, time to get back to the workshop! 15:45: Two Vauxhall enhancements, a bonnet and pedal rework, finish off my day. 17:00: Just enough time to brief my manager on my training before I brave the torrential rain and go home! 20 TORQUE magazine

21 Friends reunited - Stuart Harris with the outlandishly quick Lotus Carlton Pivot point In this new feature, we ask Vauxhall employees to recount an important or exciting moment during their careers. Stuart Harris, Head of Carline Brand and Product, fondly remembers his excitement at being asked to work on the legendary Lotus Carlton. It was 1990, and as a 25-year-old it was easily the most exciting programme for someone of my age to get involved with. I ve always had a passion for fast cars so when the first details of this secret project were revealed I was blown away. Even now I remember the moment I heard that the car was going to have a 377 horsepower engine. I knew it was going to be something special; we d never done anything like this before and probably won t in the future. At the time I was a Product Specialist for the large cars like Cavalier and Senator and so dealt with specifications, pricing, and positioning cars in the marketplace. This project was particularly unusual in that all the sales and marketing was actually done by Vauxhall rather than Opel, including all the brochures, artwork and owner s handbook, which had never been done before. I also ended up being the person who took all the orders from customers, I can even remember there were two lords who put down deposits! There was a lot of contention over the fact the car could achieve 176mph; the Daily Mail even started a campaign to have it banned. I remember the discussion about limiting it to 155mph (like the German super-saloons of the day) going all the way to the GM board, but we argued that it was built to be capable of that speed, so why not let it? It was left untouched, and the rest is history. One of my favourite moments was visiting the Lotus site in Hethel and walking round the purpose-built facility where they were building them. The walls were filled with racks full of exotic performance parts It was 1990, and as a 25 year-old it was easily the most exciting programme for someone of my age to get involved with and for a confessed petrol head it was like being in an Aladdin s Cave. Technically, it was a flawless execution, what Lotus did and how they did it was incredible. The great thing is that if you say Lotus Carlton to people who know cars, they always remember the first time they saw one or drove one, and it s become a proper icon. Sleigh what you see A team from Retailer Lookers Warrington helped put a smile on the faces of local disadvantaged children this Christmas by delivering thousands of toys and gifts. The festive philanthropists from Lookers teamed up with local radio station Wire FM to support their Toy Appeal, which asked shoppers in the area to buy one extra gift to be donated to one of five children s charities across Runcorn, Widnes and Warrington. Residents responded generously, dropping off over 5,000 gifts at the Retailer s site, ranging from scooters and bikes to remote-controlled cars and even a few Xboxes, alongside some cuddly toys of course! With no sleigh in sight to deliver the presents, the team used the next best thing a brightly-wrapped Movano! Radio presenters from Wire FM, as well as players from the Warrington Wolves and Wigan Warriors rugby teams, also lent a helping hand to sort out and distribute the gifts to the children. Derek Duguid, General Manager at Lookers, commented: We like to get behind a good cause, and during the season of goodwill, we felt we wanted to do something extra special; we are so proud to have supported the Toy Appeal. It was truly amazing to see the reaction of the children and adults at the charities when we turned up and opened the van doors to reveal thousands of presents. Over 5,000 gifts donated february

22 OVERDRIVE PEOPLE You can t beat experience The winning team from Customer Experience celebrate their second year at the top The Customer Experience Team proved last year s quiz victory was no fluke as they took the title of Vauxhall Quiz Champions for the second year running. They romped to victory with a creditable 44 points out of 60 in the annual employee quiz at Griffin House, which this year raised over 95 for The Prince s Trust. The team was relatively unchanged from last year s victors, comprising Andrea Caumon, Andy Gilson, Simone Porter, Ian Allen and Alex Battipaglia, and according Sixteen brave volunteers will attempt to cross the entire width of Scotland using boats in the latest charity challenge to raise money for Help for Heroes. The traditional annual event, set by Purchase Manager Mick Aiers, will this year see a group of complete novices paddling sea kayaks from Fort William on the west coast to Inverness in the east, a total of 60 gruelling miles. to Andrea, it wasn t as straightforward as they would have liked: The first round was really tough but we re a diverse team and played to each other s strengths. The prize of chocolates this year proved to be a good incentive! In second place were the Scrambled Eggheads from IT with 41 points, narrowly beating the Programmes team with 40 points. It's painful to write, but the wooden spoon this year went to my colleagues in Communications! Canoe go the distance? Pool queue - getting ready for the first dunking The route includes crossing the formidable Loch Lochy and iconic Loch Ness, which has recorded waves of over three metres in height! The group will be in their kayaks for eight hours a day for three days straight and aim to raise thousands of pounds for Vauxhall s chosen charity. The crew are currently in training (no-one has any meaningful kayak experience!) and will be setting off in early June. Facing the Frost for Charity Freezy does it - roughing it in St Albans A brave group of 14 Vauxhall employees swapped their beds for the frozen streets of St Albans to raise money for Lutonbased charity LAMP. The temperature dropped well below freezing during the cold snap that hit the UK in December, but it didn t deter the group who were armed with sleeping bags, onesies, hats, scarfs and ski clothes. The sleep-out outside St Albans Abbey was designed to increase awareness of homelessness, and to raise funds for the charity LAMP which provides support to youths who find themselves in a homeless or jobless situation. It was absolutely freezing cold which made it difficult to sleep but we still had a lot of fun The night was far from a chilly bore as the Vauxhall team created a fun-filled plan of activities including a quiz and a sleeping bag race. Their fellow campers were treated to the sight of various animal print onesies, festive hats and jumpers, which included a fetching squeaky reindeer number courtesy of apprentice Daniel Howarth. The team successfully raised over 1,500, and they earned every penny, as Apprentice Zoe Peacock explained: It was absolutely freezing cold which made it difficult to sleep but we still had a lot of fun. It really highlighted just how tough it is to be out on the streets during winter, so we re really proud of the fantastic amount of money we ve raised for this great local charity. 22 TORQUE magazine

23 Paint saints Changing Rooms, eat your heart out. When it comes to revamping a tired property, a team of volunteers from Ellesmere Port s Supply Chain group showed how it s done when they recently helped transform a local Community Centre. The local community from Stanney Grange had asked for help to improve facilities at the centre, a key resource for the local community, well-utilised as a youth club, dance studio and for other youth projects. It required some serious TLC, so EP s volunteers (supported by suppliers Voith and Syncreon) took up the brush and repainted the hall, kitchen and main function room before moving outside to plant trees within the gardens. Elaine Dunn, Chief Officer of the Ellesmere Port and Neston Association of A big thank you to all who came Voluntary and Community Organisations (EPNAVCO), said: I would like to let you know how thrilled we are with the work done at the centre, it has made such a difference. Community Development Worker Joan Evans added: A big thank Feel the brush Ellesmere Port's volunteers transformed Stanney Grange you to all who came and worked so hard. I cannot wait for the first groups to go in this week and see it. Ash Evans, Supply Chain Director at Vauxhall, concluded: Vauxhall Motors has great links with the local community and by donating a few hours of employees time we have hopefully helped the community in a very positive way. Motability's MP Retailer Danetre Vauxhall in Daventry recently hosted a special guest in local MP Chris Heaton-Harris, who presented the keys of a new Motability car to his constituent Ian Thorneycroft. Ian has severe arthritis in his toes and shoulders and has also had two knee replacements, which restricts his mobility. He is now on to his third lease with Motability, this time choosing a Vauxhall Astra. Chris Heaton-Harris MP said: I am delighted to see how Motability is having such a positive impact in my constituency. Motability provides a lifeline to thousands of disabled people around the country, so I am pleased to meet Ian and see how he benefits. Declan O Mahony, Director of Motability, commented: We would like to thank Chris for joining us today at this special handover in Daventry. Motability has supported more than three and a half million people with their personal mobility and we remain committed to this in the future. Keys a jolly good fellow MP Chris Heaton Harris hands over Ian Thorneycroft's new Astra Win cycle Renewed support has enabled Vauxhallsponsored mountain bike team Mountain Traxx-Vauxhall to recruit two promising new riders, one of which has already won two races for them this year. Current members Ben Thomas and Tim Dunsford will be joined by former Junior National XC Champion Sam Stean and Isaac Pucci, winner of a silver medal at the National XC Championships and the first of the riders to score a race victory. Winning his first two races of the season at the Brass Monkey Winter Series, Isaac has got off to a flying start: Joining the Mountain Trax-Vauxhall Motors Cycling Team is a huge achievement for me. The team has sponsors who really want to help develop young riders like myself and I'm motivated to really make 2014 a success. Vauxhall have renewed as co-title sponsor for 2014, providing the team with a Vivaro Double Cab van and Antara 4x4. The team s promotional activities give Vauxhall the opportunity to market the rugged Antara 4x4 which will be used for reaching remote race feed and technical zones. The Vivaro offers the additional space necessary for bigger events, and last year the team drove it nearly 20,000 miles with perfect reliability. february

24 OVERDRIVE PEOPLE Get the shutterbug Photographer Graham Custance shares his passion and shows how to get results like the pros I ve always been interested in photography, and this only grew when I purchased my first DSLR camera in I joined the photo sharing website Flickr and was amazed by some of the images on there; I soon wanted to learn how to recreate similar effects. I started to read lots of photography books and magazines, and was surprised by how many other photographers gave free advice online and through tutorials. Once I started to give a little more thought to my photography my images started to improve, and coupled with learning to use Photoshop I started getting requests to use my work in publications and calendars. After setting up a website I was invited to contribute my work to both Getty and Alamy online image galleries. I was also invited on to the local BBC radio station to talk about both photography and my life working at Vauxhall for over 30 years. With the advance in smart phone technology, most people have a pretty good camera to hand all the time. Social media offers great opportunities to showcase your work and cheap memory cards mean that you can take unlimited quantities of images. However, as you gain experience My work is now regularly featured as the backdrop to ITV Anglia weather bulletins you soon realise that it is far better to take your time and focus on getting quality shots. Photography is now a hobby that I dedicate a lot of my leisure time to. This includes the early morning alarm call to ensure that I am on location ready for sunrise. It s always tough to get up that early but the reward is more than worth it. It s a magical experience being on a deserted beach or in a field of vibrant bluebells at sunrise. My work is now regularly featured as the backdrop to ITV Anglia weather bulletins and I photographed my first wedding last year. I have won several photography competitions, and was the regional winner of HRH Prince of Wales National Countryside Photographic Competition. My favourite quote is: The camera looks both ways because every time we make a photograph we re also making a portrait of ourselves. GRAHAM's Top photography tips The rule of thirds Divide what you can see into vertical thirds and place your subject in one of them. Photos generally look better if your subject is not centered Change your viewpoint Eye level shots can become predictable and boring move the camera up or down for a more interesting shot Shoot in RAW format You can process and recover shots much better with a RAW file instead of a JPEG Foreground interest Adding some foreground interest completely transforms the image Don t forget to back up your images! The more often the better. I back my images up to an external hard drive, USB stick, website and also burn to CD/DVD 24 TORQUE magazine

25 heritage Athlete s feat 1947 was a year to remember for the Vauxhall Athletics team, according to former Assistant Staff Engineer Geoff Smith who kindly sent in this photo. Made up of amateur athletes from the Engineering Department, the team recorded a clean sweep at the Bedfordshire Athletic Championships that year, winning every event at the Bedford meeting. The photo was taken by the local press outside the Brewery Tap Pub on Park Square in Luton even the landlord and lady wanted in on the glory! According to Geoff, Henry Sands performance didn t go unnoticed and he was subsequently shortlisted for the 1948 Olympic Games. then & now: photo Competition Congratulations to Mike West, Supplier Quality Senior Engineer, who correctly guessed that the picture in December s issue of Torque was of the Ellesmere Port Marriage Conveyor for HA Viva. Mike wins 25 in vouchers. Then and Now returns next issue! Ivan Offer (second from left), Henry Sands (fifth from left), Geoff Smith (far right) Lionel Offer (seated left) did you know? Did you know that two Vauxhall marine engines were running in tug boats on the River Thames in London right up until the mid-sixties? As is well-known, Vauxhall was founded as a marine engine manufacturer in 1857 by Alexander Wilson, branching out into motor car manufacturing in With the move to Luton in 1905, car manufacturing became more dominant, and marine engine manufacturing was continued by the West Hydraulic Company with whom Vauxhall had merged that year. One of the two tug boats still operating was the Westbourne, built in 1911 by Cammell Laird of Birkenhead on Merseyside. It was fitted with a 180 p.s.i. steam engine built by the Vauxhall Engine Co. of Luton and was used on the Thames until it was disposed of in 1967 after 56 solid years of service. Sadly, the identity of the other boat is not known. l For more information on the Westbourne and several others with engines built by Vauxhall and the Alexander Wilson Company, please visit the website All is what it steams february

26 competitions Crossword Across 4. Courageous (6) 7. Sanction (8) 8. Wide street or road (6) 10. Wrongly (5) 13. Continent (4) 14. Condiment (4) 15. As well (4) 16. Cunning (3) 17. Of the ear (4) 19. Long steady gait or stride (4) 21. Mouth organ (9) 23. Roster (4) 24. Fine whetstone (4) 26. Ask earnestly (3) 27. Secure a ship (4) 29. Way off (4) 32. Precious stone (4) 33. Shoot from cover (5) 34. To badger (6) 35. Together (2,6) 36. Rank (6) win 25 Down 1. Spanish snacks (5) 2. Month (5) 3. Fling (4) 4. Drinking vessel (5) 5. Notion (4) 6. Tangle, ruffle, etc. (6) 9. Bowed stringed instrument (6) 11. Angry, informally (3) 12. Weasel-like animal (5) 13. Booze (7) 15. Intention (3) 16. Health resort (3) 18. Vagrants (6) 20. Atlantic, e.g. (5) 21. Domesticated pig (3) 22. And not (3) 23. Meal (6) 25. Hiatus (3) 28. Fertile place in a desert (5) 30. Locates (5) 31. Quantities of paper (5) 32. Kiln for drying hops (4) 33. Scorch (4) Congratulations to Nigel Rielly from Flint who solved December s Crossword and wins 25. Send completed entries to Torque Crossword, UK , Vauxhall Motors, Griffin House, Osborne Road, Luton LU1 3Y T to reach us by 10 March Solution to December crossword: Across: 1.Miss 8.Constables 9.Standing 10.Only 12.Mangle 14.Stupor 15.Fierce 17.Breast 18.Once 19. Dogfight 21.Cumulative 22.Sips DOWN: 2.Initiation 3.Scan 4.Invite 5.Stages 6. Absolute 7.Espy 11. Looks sharp 13.Gorgeous 16.Endear 17.Bigwig 18.Ouch 20.Ides NAME LOCATION ADDRESS sudoku Fill in all the squares in the grid so that each row, each column and each 3x3 square contains all the digits from one to nine. Fill in your details below and send the completed grid to: Torque Sudoku, UK , Vauxhall Motors, Griffin House, Osborne Road, Luton LU1 3YT Entries should reach us by 10 March Sudoku and Solution each 3x3 square contains to all December the digits from 1 to 9. Fill in all the squares in the grid so that each row, each column, NAME LOCATION win 25 Congratulations to Jaspreet Sandhu from Reading in Berkshire who won December's competition and ADDRESS 26 TORQUE magazine

27 marketplace SAVE AN AVERAGE OF 30% OFF RRP ON HOTPOINT & INDESIT We all love getting our hands on a bargain, especially on those big ticket household appliances! We now have an exciting partnership with Indesit Company that could help save you some serious cash. From today you ll be able to access their exclusive Privilege Purchase Club website to unlock some competitive deals on kitchen appliances from the UK s leading brands such as Hotpoint and Indesit. The main benefits at a glance are: Save an average of 30% off RRP FREE DELIVERY and FREE REMOVAL Now includes their full range of small appliances To grab yourself one of these fantastic deals visit and log on using the username vx and the password offers the deal can be found by clicking on the Monthly Offers section on the homepage. Terms and Conditions apply. See website for details. EMPLOYEE BENEFIT YOUR ASSOCIATE PARTNERS DISCOUNT PLUS finance 1 3 Choose your car Select a new Vauxhall. Choose your term From 24 to 60 months. 2 PLUS Choose your deposit Any deposit. We ll give at least 500 to get you started. ** Vauxhall Lifetime warranty Lifetime 100,000 mile warranty. First registered owner. Plus one year s free insurance available on Corsa models Offers end 1 st April 2014, to find out more visit: call or visit your Vauxhall Retailer. WARRANTY 100,000 MILE Official Government Test Environmental Data. Fuel consumption figures mpg (litres/100km) and CO 2 emissions (g/km). Vauxhall range (excl. Ampera): Urban: 14.4 (19.6) (3.7), Extra-urban: 27.4 (10.3) (3.1), Combined: 18.0 (15.7) (3.3). CO 2 emissions: g/km. # Available on selected models, at participating Retailers. Finance subject to status. Terms and Conditions apply. Applicants must be 18 or over. Finance supplied by Vauxhall Finance, PO Box 6666, Cardiff, CF15 7YT. Offer will apply to Vauxhall Partners only. **Vauxhall Deposit Contributions vary and exclude certain models. Refer to or contact your local Vauxhall Retailer for details. First year insurance offer available on new Corsa models (excluding Expression, S, Sting, Design and VXR). The offer will cover the full premium (motor policy only) for drivers aged between Drivers must have held a valid full UK licence for a minimum of 1 year. Only available through Vauxhall Insurance. Policies are underwritten by Ageas Insurance Ltd. Other insurance specific Terms and Conditions apply. Offer applies to Vauxhall Partners only. For Partners Terms and Conditions go to partnersprogramme. co.uk/legal-notice-and-privacy-policy. #Official EU-regulated test data are provided for comparison purposes and actual performance will depend on driving style, road conditions and other non-technical factors. Vauxhall Lifetime Warranty covers lifetime ownership of first registered keeper, 100,000 mile limit. Terms and Conditions apply. Offer available on orders or registrations before 1 April Correct at time of going to print 24/01/2014.

28 MEET THE TEAM: Paint Unit Team Nick James Supervisor I ensure that the quality in the shop is at the correct levels through the use of our Throughput Improvement Meetings. I am also responsible for Verification, Spot Repair, Finesse and HR where we rectify any deviations in the product. I am looking forward to the challenges of the new Astra and hoping that it will be a success. Phil Tabiner Team Leader I m a member of a small team of three people who are responsible for our repairs within the shop. The role is enjoyable as every day and every car is different, and they all have their own individual challenges. I m looking forward to the launch of the new Astra and believe from the feedback so far that it will be a big seller. Martin Sadler Shift Leader I am currently responsible for leading four staff and 91 hourly employees in all aspects of the manufacturing systems. This includes Safety, People, Quality, Productivity, Continuous Improvement and Cost Reduction. Our goal is to achieve all BPD metrics in 2014 along with a flawless launch of the next generation Astra. Denver Brazier Process, Paint Mix Team Leader I ve worked at Vauxhall for almost 30 years and I m currently the Team Leader in Paint Mix. I condition paint so it is ready to be applied, which involves cutting it with solvent or water to make it both a perfect colour match and viscosity to spray. It is a job I find very rewarding. Graham Jones Team Leader I lead a team to identify imperfections and repair them to a high standard. paint hearted Meet Ellesmere Port s colourful Paint Unit Team O ne of the most visible measures of a car s quality is the paintwork; thankfully the Paint Unit Team at Ellesmere Port has the tools and skills to deliver outstanding results. It s a unique part of the build process, according to Acting Paint Unit Manager Peter Wilkinson: Everyone in the Paint Unit needs to be highly trained as we all influence the final product. Some jobs, such as sealer and manual paint application, take a long time to learn as they are difficult tasks that need to be completed to a very exacting standard. To support their drive for perfect paintwork there has been significant investment in the unit this year: During 2013 we spent over 2.3 million installing new underbody sealing robots and new incinerators to burn off oven gases, helping to ensure we meet our environmental targets. The team worked hard to install the equipment in the summer closure, and completed on time without impact to post-closure start up. The team are now gearing up ready for the new Astra, with Launch Manager Adam Turner busy creating launch plans and building a team ready for the fourth quarter of A landmark day will be reached on 20 March when the very first new Astra body arrives in the Paint Unit for initial conveyor work and sealer programming.