VW's factory tour a must for all car lovers

FROM sheet metal to showroom ready and the process in between – Volkswagen pulls out all of the stops when it comes to the production of cars, and the public has the chance to experience what this giant does best.

The aim of the Volkswagen factory tour is to give the public an opportunity to witness, first-hand, how one of South Africa's most popular motoring brands gets transformed from raw metal to a medium of safe transportation.

Visitors get to sit back and relax as the tour takes off from the AutoPavilion in a modified Polo.

Driving past the "people's car" production plant, you get a sense of the sheer scale of engineering that went into creating this state- of-the-art factory.

Within the factory, visitors are treated to an informative tour of the inner workings of the manufacturing plant in Uitenhage.

With the production of nearly 500 vehicles a day and workers having a mere minute to complete an assignment, VW's scale of efficiency is renowned – and this helps produce nearly 500 vehicles a day.

Vehicles are thoroughly inspected and double-checked to ensure the measurements of every body part are spot-on. Arguably the best part of the tour is the "marriage" of the power- unit with the body.

After the factory tour, however, you can transport yourself back in time to the origins of the brand with a visit to the AutoPavilion museum. Hosting a collection of classic and iconic cars, it is sure to impress any petrolhead and educate the young ones with a series of fun activities. Visitors get to see the last Golf ever produced and there is even a 200kW once-off Golf, the first GTi and the last Beetle produced.

The AutoPavilion factory tour is open to adults and children aged eight and up. There is still a factory tour today but the factory then shuts down, with tours resuming on January 12. Bookings are essential. Contact (041) 994-5941. – Deon van der Walt