A few days ago, a petition was launched on the Internet to have the iconic British Leyland pillar of the group's former Belgian assembly plant protected as a historical monument.
The "Leyland Industries Belgium" sign was part of the European distribution center in Seneffe, which assembled more than 600,000 vehicles between 1972 and 1982. These included Minis and Austin Allegros, which were delivered as kits in crates from Cowley in Oxford, England.
During the many strikes in the early 1970s, Seneffe even delivered right-hand drive cars to the UK. In 1977, the BL assembly plant set a milestone with its 500,000th car, an Austin Allegro 1300 Special. In 1982, the market share of the now older models produced in Seneffe fell throughout Europe and demand also declined, as the UK economy was in a bad way. The plant was closed in the same year.
The British Leyland pillar of the assembly plant still stands today and is set to remain in Seneffe for a long time to come, as it bears witness to the town's great industrial past. For this reason, Dimitri Urbain, a BL fan from Seneffe, is trying to have the column listed as a historical monument with the help of former factory workers and other fans.
The online petition to protect the British Leyland column can be signed here.
