Sandvik Coromant announces support for Manufacturing Technology Centre ‘Italian Job’ rally teams

Sponsorship of three classic Minis helps MTC raise money for children’s charity and highlights partnership built on engineering innovation

Sandvik Coromant has found an interesting and inspiring way to use its automotive expertise to support a good cause; by sponsoring three teams comprising apprentices and graduates from the UK’s Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) who plan to drive classic British Minis across Italy to raise money for charity. As well as sponsorship of the MTC entries in this year’s ‘Italian Job’ Mini car rally, Sandvik Coromant will also provide support to the MTC as it renovates and restores the vehicles - one of which dates back to 1966 – for the event.

Now in its 25thyear, the Italian Job Mini car rally involves driving Minis and other cars featured in the 1969 Michael Caine movie across Italy to raise funds for children’s charities. This year the rally’s nominated charity is ‘Variety’ and the route will see hundreds of cars drive from Turin to Trento, taking in the mountain roads of Piedmont and Trentino and including a drive on the world-famous Monza circuit.

The MTC is entering three original British Minis into the seven-day rally. Once they have been prepared the Minis will leave the MTC’s home in Coventry on 21stOctober and then drive across France into Italy, reaching Turin in time for the start of the rally on 23rdOctober.

Painted red, white and blue respectively, the cars are ‘Mike’, built in 1981, Tango’, from 1966, and ‘Charlie’, who rolled off the Mini production line in1992. Each vehicle is currently being restored and repaired using the Centre’s facilities, which includes some of the latest Sandvik Coromant metal cutting tools.

Sandvik Coromant is a leading provider of cutting tools and tooling systems that deliver the high levels of accuracy, productivity and security needed for machining the diverse mix of materials used in modern vehicles. The company partners with a wide variety of automotive manufacturers and suppliers in the proactive development of innovative solutions that address the technical and commercial challenges of manufacturing components for next-generation engines, transmissions, and other vehicle applications and subsystems.

A Tier One industrial member of the MTC since 2011, Sandvik Coromant works closely with the MTC in line with its commitment to developing new machining solutions and sharing knowledge that will help manufacturers address future engineering challenges. This commitment and cooperation also extends to support for graduate and apprentice training and sponsorship schemes and other initiatives designed to address the ‘skills gap’ by attracting, encouraging and nurturing new engineering talent.

Commenting on its sponsorship of the MTC rally entry, Howard Meachin, senior manager – Engineering at Sandvik Coromant, says: “Support of the UK MTC is an important part of our commitment to the advancement of innovative manufacturing techniques across a variety of industries, including the automotive sector. Sponsoring the MTC rally entries and offering our technology and services to help with the restoration of the vehicles is an opportunity to highlight this commitment and our strong relationship with the MTC while helping the Centre to raise money for a great cause.”  

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About Sandvik Coromant

Sandvik Coromant  is a global leading supplier of cutting tools, tooling solutions and know-how to the metalworking industry. With extensive investments in research and development we create unique innovations and set new productivity standards together with our customers. These include the world's major automotive, aerospace and energy industries. Sandvik Coromant has 8000 employees and is represented in 130 countries. We are part of the business area Sandvik Machining Solutions within the global industrial group  Sandvik .

For more information visit the website at  www.sandvik.coromant.com .

Contact Details:

Nikki Stokes
PR & Advertising, EMEA
Sandvik Coromant
Tel: +44 (0) 121 504 5422
Email:  nikki.stokes@sandvik.com
Website:  www.sandvik.coromant.com

Birgit Schoeniger 
Senior Account Manager
Pinnacle Marketing Communications, Ltd 
Tel: +44 (0) 208 429 6554
Email:  b.schoeniger@pinnaclemarcom.com
Website:  www.pinnacle-marketing.com

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