Car Factory Tours & Visits

A car factory tour takes you right onto the active shop floor to see how vehicles are made. Guided by an expert, you’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at the entire process—from raw materials, design, and precision robotics to hand-assembly, trimming and final quality inspections. It's a fascinating insight into modern engineering and automotive craftsmanship.

If your visit is within normal working hours, yes! Just be aware that tours often take place at weekends when the production team isn't working, but you still get to see behind the scenes to discover how the cars are made from A to Z!

For intellectual property, prototype privacy and safety reasons, photography and video recording are strictly prohibited inside most active factory production areas. However, cameras are highly encouraged in the dedicated visitor centres, heritage museums and public exhibition spaces. Your guide will let you know exactly where you can and can't film or take pictures.

Standard factory tours are walking experiences focused on the manufacturing process. However, we do offer combined experiences—such as the 'Drive Dad's Car' packages—where your entry ticket to the collection includes the chance to take classic British motors out for a spin on a dedicated, closed circuit within the exhibition grounds. If you just want to drive, check out our extensive Driving experiences at UK-wide circuits.

Guided factory tours typically last between 1.5 to 2 hours, as there is a lot of ground to cover! If your experience includes a museum visit or an entry ticket to an exhibition (like the Great British Car Journey), you are generally welcome to explore the exhibits at your own pace for the rest of the day.

It's all about safety first, which means flat, fully enclosed footwear (no open-toe sandals, heels, or flip-flops). Because you will be walking on a functional factory floor, we recommend comfortable clothing. Long trousers are often preferred, and you may be asked to remove or cover large metal belt buckles or jewellery that could accidentally scratch the pristine bodywork of a new car.

If specific protective equipment is required—such as high-visibility vests, safety glasses, or lightweight audio headsets so you can hear your guide over the machinery—it will be provided for you by the venue at the start of the tour.

Active factory tours run on selected dates throughout the year and are subject to the plant's production schedules (they generally run on specific weekdays or set weekends). Heritage museums and car exhibitions usually have much wider opening times. We do, however, recommend booking well in advance, as behind-the-scenes spaces are highly sought after and allocations fill up fast.

Great British Sports Cars (also known simply as GBS) was officially formed in 2006 following a management buyout of the assets of Robin Hood Engineering, the UK kit car manufacturers founded by Richard Stewart in 1984. The launch of GBS marked a massive shift toward premium engineering, modern CAD design and high-performance manufacturing, with the Generation 2 chassis in 2014 and the Zero in 2019. Both cars are renowned for their precision engineering and Lotus 7-style good looks!

At the time of writing, the UK still operates large assembly plants as well as smaller niche manufacturers and specialised sports car companies. Here's a rundown:

Nissan - Sunderland - Quashqui & Juke

Toyota - Derbyshire - Carolla

BMW MINI - Oxfordshire - Mini Cooper

JLR - Midlands - Range Rover/Sport

JLR - Merseyside - Evoque & Discovery

Elite companies include Rolls Royce in Goodwood, Bentley in Crewe, Aston Martin in West Midlands/Wales and McLaren in Woking. Specialist sports car manufacturers include Morgan in Malvern, Ariel in Somerset, Great British Sports Cars in Nottinghamshire, Caterham in Kent and part of the Lotus production remains in Norfolk.

Click on the links to go straight to our experience pages for each car marque!