Factory tours?
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,653
Likes: 7
From: Central Pa.
2013 GL450 (traded for 2015 Escalade), 2012 Corvette, 2014 Ford Fusion, Previous: 2007 GL450, 2011
Factory tours?
Hi all.... I've not been here in a while since I'm awaiting production of my 2013 and have been hanging around the X166 site....BUTTT.... over here is where the experience is, right?! Anyway..... has anyone ever taken the tour at the Vance plant? If so, is it worth the trip from Pa.? Wonder if you can be there the day your vehicle is coming down the line? Any advice.....
Meanwhile, waiting for the 2013 is getting long..... two months down, two more to go
Meanwhile, waiting for the 2013 is getting long..... two months down, two more to go
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 3,076
Likes: 28
From: Seattle, WA
99 ML430, 01 CLK55, 07 R63, 15 E63 Wagon
I've taken the factory tour twice. Once in 2003 when they built the original W163 ML and again in 2010 when they were building the second generation W164 ML, W251 R, and X164 GL.
Not much has changed in that time in terms of facilities or the way the tour is operated. If you're a car guy and really into these MBs then it's certainly worth a visit at least once. But if you have done tours in the past such as visiing MB's facility in Sindelfingen, Germany or even BMW's plan in Spartanburg, South Carolina the MB Alabama factory is lacking. They do have a small museum and a gift shop but it's not anywhere near as immense and impressive as other factories. Also, there's not really much else to do in that area of Alabama.
The two times I've gone, I've been nearby (Florida the first time and Atlanta the second time) that it was worthwhile to venture out to Alabama to visit the factory since I'm a big fan of these cars.
So in the end, I'd say it's really up to you if you want to go all the way out there to visit the factory which is really neat BTW. Or maybe you can make another trip out of it and use that as a side spot.
Not much has changed in that time in terms of facilities or the way the tour is operated. If you're a car guy and really into these MBs then it's certainly worth a visit at least once. But if you have done tours in the past such as visiing MB's facility in Sindelfingen, Germany or even BMW's plan in Spartanburg, South Carolina the MB Alabama factory is lacking. They do have a small museum and a gift shop but it's not anywhere near as immense and impressive as other factories. Also, there's not really much else to do in that area of Alabama.
The two times I've gone, I've been nearby (Florida the first time and Atlanta the second time) that it was worthwhile to venture out to Alabama to visit the factory since I'm a big fan of these cars.
So in the end, I'd say it's really up to you if you want to go all the way out there to visit the factory which is really neat BTW. Or maybe you can make another trip out of it and use that as a side spot.
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,653
Likes: 7
From: Central Pa.
2013 GL450 (traded for 2015 Escalade), 2012 Corvette, 2014 Ford Fusion, Previous: 2007 GL450, 2011
I've taken the factory tour twice. Once in 2003 when they built the original W163 ML and again in 2010 when they were building the second generation W164 ML, W251 R, and X164 GL.
Not much has changed in that time in terms of facilities or the way the tour is operated. If you're a car guy and really into these MBs then it's certainly worth a visit at least once. But if you have done tours in the past such as visiing MB's facility in Sindelfingen, Germany or even BMW's plan in Spartanburg, South Carolina the MB Alabama factory is lacking. They do have a small museum and a gift shop but it's not anywhere near as immense and impressive as other factories. Also, there's not really much else to do in that area of Alabama.
The two times I've gone, I've been nearby (Florida the first time and Atlanta the second time) that it was worthwhile to venture out to Alabama to visit the factory since I'm a big fan of these cars.
So in the end, I'd say it's really up to you if you want to go all the way out there to visit the factory which is really neat BTW. Or maybe you can make another trip out of it and use that as a side spot.
Not much has changed in that time in terms of facilities or the way the tour is operated. If you're a car guy and really into these MBs then it's certainly worth a visit at least once. But if you have done tours in the past such as visiing MB's facility in Sindelfingen, Germany or even BMW's plan in Spartanburg, South Carolina the MB Alabama factory is lacking. They do have a small museum and a gift shop but it's not anywhere near as immense and impressive as other factories. Also, there's not really much else to do in that area of Alabama.
The two times I've gone, I've been nearby (Florida the first time and Atlanta the second time) that it was worthwhile to venture out to Alabama to visit the factory since I'm a big fan of these cars.
So in the end, I'd say it's really up to you if you want to go all the way out there to visit the factory which is really neat BTW. Or maybe you can make another trip out of it and use that as a side spot.
