Strikes, stoppages and walkouts at the Cowley car factories often dominated the news columns of the Oxford Mail.

But that wasn’t all the newspaper published – often we would feature what we called ‘good news stories’, reflecting happier and more positive times.

The two photographs here from the 1980s show employees celebrating after winning awards.

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In the picture above, Doug Dickson, director of the car body plant, centre, posed for the camera after presenting cheques to Julian French, left, and Patrick Palmer.

The two workers were making a habit of winning money in the company’s suggestion scheme.

They had previously won £3,000 for their cost-cutting ideas – now they were sharing £4,000, the largest amount the company paid at that time.

They won the money in 1986 after suggesting how cash could be saved by reducing the amount of metal used to make the under-frames of Montego and Maestro cars.

The saving was estimated at £50,000 a year.

The two men, both 40 and from Headington, had joined the company in 1961 and worked together in the car body plant.

Mr French lived in Tilehouse Close and Mr Palmer in Cinnaminta Road.

The Oxford Mail reported their achievements under the headline, ‘Bright boys cash in on good ideas’.

The lower picture shows three 30-year-old employees who had won Master of Science degrees in a new joint industry/university education programme in 1985.

They were, left to right, Henry Nee-Sackey, of Horspath Road, Oxford, Alexander Oskiera, of Virginia Way, Abingdon, and Andrew Wood, of Firtree Close, Southmoor.

On the right is Austin Rover chairman and chief executive Harold Musgrove, who presented them with gifts to mark their achievement.

The three young engineers were the first to complete the four-year education programme introduced in 1981 with Warwick University.

They studied manufacturing systems engineering with employees from other companies, including Lucas, Rolls-Royce and British Aerospace.

They attended 16 one-week residential courses at the university over two and a half years and carried out private studies in addition to working at their jobs full time.

The BMW Mini plant has been producing Minis since May 2001 and is a key location for Mini production.

The plant has been at the centre of the Mini brand since the first Mini rolled off a production line 60 years ago.

The plant produces a quarter of a million BMW Minis annually and is the largest industrial employer in Oxfordshire.

Two new all electric Mini models will be built at the plant from 2026 due to BMW Group’s decision to take its total investment in the UK to £3 billion since 2000.

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About the author 

Andy is the Trade and Tourism reporter for the Oxford Mail and you can sign up to his newsletters for free here. 

He joined the team more than 20 years ago and he covers community news across Oxfordshire.

His Trade and Tourism newsletter is released every Saturday morning. 

You can also read his weekly Traffic and Transport newsletter.