Williams Factory Tour 1994

[kazste]

Just had a text from my mum (argh bless) it was definitely the same year as senna died. The car had just come back for testing so maybe testing items for the next season?

[andygo]

There is enough of those Williams in one of the pix to have a one make series!

What a lovely story, email a linky to Williams, Attn. of Frank. Bet he would be really chuffed that it was appreciated so much.

He is a top top bloke, and his security guard was obviously a nice bloke as well. Cant see that happening at Ferrari or McLaren somehow.

[williamp]

That could well have been Sennas car...from Brazil maybe. Still, some wonderul photos of a lucky day

[Allyc85]

HereBeMonsters said:

fking wow. OMG. You lucky, lucky bd.

Thanks for sharing!

What he said!

Cheers

[VladD]

I was lucky enough to get a factory tour at Didcot too as some IT company was hosting a small conference there. It must have been very late 1993 or very early 1994 as the two new cars were about to be officially launched and then taken off to Silverstone for a test. It was an amazing place. I also got to drive a Pug 205 GTi there and back too, which made it an all round good day.

[kazste]

Did you get to see the btcc area? I never thought to ask but later heard it was just one factory up from the f1 workshops.

Also if you have any photos please share them.

[VladD]

I don't remember seeing any BTCC cars, but I do remember seeing the Metro 6R4. It was the first I knew about Williams building it.

I didn't take a camera with me unfortunately, so have no pictures at all.

[Eric Mc]

VladD said:

I was lucky enough to get a factory tour at Didcot too as some IT company was hosting a small conference there. It must have been very late 1993 or very early 1994 as the two new cars were about to be officially launched and then taken off to Silverstone for a test. It was an amazing place. I also got to drive a Pug 205 GTi there and back too, which made it an all round good day.

Wasn't Bull by any chance?

[TheArchitect]

I got to do a tour of the williams factory this summer and the place is very different to the photos but is simply amazing! one of the best days I can remember! and they had the rneault laguuna btcc car in there too!

Edited by TheArchitect on Wednesday 22 December 13:39

[furtive]

Nice story and pics. I had a tour of the current factory and museum a couple of years ago (I work for one of the teams sponsors). Wasn't allowed to take any photos inside the factory but took plenty in the museum:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/furtives/sets/7215760...

[kazste]

fantastic photo's of the new conference centre, i keep meaning to get some gear ratios as £25 for two wonderfully made pieces is really a bargain in my eyes and could sure find something imaginative to do with them if i bought about 10!

thanks for your photos.

anyone have anymore? even if not Williams would be very interested to see them.

[VladD]

Eric Mc said:

VladD said:

I was lucky enough to get a factory tour at Didcot too as some IT company was hosting a small conference there. It must have been very late 1993 or very early 1994 as the two new cars were about to be officially launched and then taken off to Silverstone for a test. It was an amazing place. I also got to drive a Pug 205 GTi there and back too, which made it an all round good day.

Wasn't Bull by any chance?

No idea, too long ago. The company I worked for wasn't actually interested in what was going on at the conference, but knew I was a petrol head, so said that if I wanted to take a day off and go then I could use the invite. Very kind of them.

[RobFerrari]

I've had the pleasure of visiting Williams too, it was a conference thing back in 2009. We got a full factory tour alongside museum viewing and a chance to chat with many members of the team. Brilliant day, and its a really amazing place to go to.

Great pictures

[HereBeMonsters]

RobFerrari said:

I've had the pleasure of visiting Williams too, it was a conference thing back in 2009. We got a full factory tour alongside museum viewing and a chance to chat with many members of the team. Brilliant day, and its a really amazing place to go to.

Great pictures

Do you know if it's open to the public, or am I going to have to set up my own "business" to get an invite?

[Muzzer]

HereBeMonsters said:

RobFerrari said:

I've had the pleasure of visiting Williams too, it was a conference thing back in 2009. We got a full factory tour alongside museum viewing and a chance to chat with many members of the team. Brilliant day, and its a really amazing place to go to.

Great pictures

Do you know if it's open to the public, or am I going to have to set up my own "business" to get an invite?

The conference centre, which houses the museum, is open to public visits IINM.

The factory is off-limits though, unless you know someone who knows someone.

The conference centre & museum is good.

[furtive]

The museum is NOT open to the public. You have to be there at a conference or as an invited guest to view it.

[RobFerrari]

Muzzer said:

HereBeMonsters said:

RobFerrari said:

I've had the pleasure of visiting Williams too, it was a conference thing back in 2009. We got a full factory tour alongside museum viewing and a chance to chat with many members of the team. Brilliant day, and its a really amazing place to go to.

Great pictures

Do you know if it's open to the public, or am I going to have to set up my own "business" to get an invite?

The conference centre, which houses the museum, is open to public visits IINM.

The factory is off-limits though, unless you know someone who knows someone.

The conference centre & museum is good.

The museum occasionally has open days, for a fee I believe. Otherwise you gain access through a special conference of some sort. Lotus F1 (Team Lotus) I think have a fee paid opportunity to visit some form of museum at their factory now, something about it was on Autosport a while back.

Visiting the actual factory is pretty much impossible, you have to be invited by someone fairly high up/a sponsor realistically. And then afterwards you're not really allowed to talk about anything you may have seen inside!

[AlpineWhite]

haggy said:

Where would senna's car be now? or would it have been crushed

according to the Rubython book, it was eventually returned to Williams who destroyed the remains of the chassis and sent the engine back to Renault.

[SeeFive]

TheArchitect said:

I got to do a tour of the williams factory this summer and the place is very different to the photos but is simply amazing! one of the best days I can remember! and they had the rneault laguuna btcc car in there too!

Edited by TheArchitect on Wednesday 22 December 13:39

That'll be very different as the museum tour you would have done would have been at Grove and the pictures are from the old museum by the Didcot cooling towers.

OP. Was the Brands Hatch layout Scalectric there? Also, in those days, you should have seen some of the F1 crash test noses and the Ducati bike / Clio stuff there as well as the 6R4. The old 6 wheeler should have been in among the white cars too, just at the edge of the mezzanine floor.

Jogging the memory a little more?

Edited by SeeFive on Sunday 26th December 17:42

[kazste]

I definitely don't remember the scalextrix, maybe the metro as I remember seeing one somewhere but couldn't say where and would make sense it being there. The one I remember is mainly blue with white front and rear plus side skirts. There were lots of white cars Poss Saudi air sponsored, which my dad has photos of and have asked him for in order to post those as well. I do have a few more including a front photo of the car which had just finished testing at Barcelona which I need to play with to get brighter but when I work it out will post those as well.