WALKING into the Cowley Mini plant paint shop for the first time, Tom Bennett could never have predicted the changes he has witnessed over the next four decades.

But after painting, by hand at first, and then operating and managing the robots that now spray millions of cars travelling along the production line, the 59-year-old BMW group leader hung up his overalls for the final time yesterday, as he bid farewell to factory after almost 38 years of service.

Mr Bennett, who started working for Pressed Steel-Fisher at Cowley in 1979, said he would miss the people working throughout the various departments more than anything else as he retires.

Saying goodbye to the 5.30am wake-up call and cycle journey from his home in Berinsfield, the grandfather-of-five told the Oxford Mail the workforce at the Mini Plant were like family to him.

"I'm gonna miss the people the most. Where do you meet people like this?

"The guys down there are my family.

"I have seen a lot of them more than my wife and my family. It's the people I'm going to miss."

Mr Bennett said some of the most memorable moments were carrying the Olympic Torch in 2012, which he said was like a 'boyhood dream', and spraying the last ever MGB to come off the production line.

Some could say it was fate that brought Mr Bennett and Cowley together, with not only his father Norman serving 40 years at the plant, but as far back as his great-grandmother Dorothy, who worked as a housekeeper for the man who started car manufacturing in the city in 1912, Sir William Morris.

Mr Bennett's two sons, Colin and Craig also currently work at the plant.

Mr Bennett, who sprayed tractors, tanks and various other vehicles was sent straight to the paint shop as a fresh-faced 22-year-old on his first day at Cowley.

He said he could remember the factory being 'daunting' and at only 5ft 7ins, the then apprentice was not tall enough to reach the car roofs, so could only spray the shuts and sides.

Back then, he was handed a pair of overalls and a mouth mask to paint each new model, compared to the enclosed robots which are programmed to spray to perfection 1000 Minis every 24 hours today.

Throughout his career, the paint expert has sprayed the Maxi, MG, Princess, Ambassador, Triumph Acclaim cars as well as the Rover SD1, Rover 800 – Mr Bennett's favourite – Rover 600, and finally, the Mini.

"It was daunting. Cars were coming past me 40 units an hour and you had to hand spray them," Mr Bennett added.

"There was a gang of people and in those days you had to put a first coat and then second coat.

"You would put the first coat on and another guy would do the finishing. You knew you had made it if you were putting the final coat on.

"There were lots and lots of people back in those days, lots of labour."

It was only a few years after the paint sprayer joined that hand spraying was stopped and machines brought, then later robots.

With much uncertainty and labour reductions over the years, Mr Bennett said he always looked to embrace changes, develop new skills and adapt to the working environment.

"As the time goes on engineering and machinery comes in, it all changes", he added.

"If anyone asks me how did I get on with all the changes over the years, I tell my grand kids as well, it is that change is inevitable.

"If you fight change, you become bitter and you resent against it. If you go with change and embrace it, you will do far, far better.

"I have always said, yeah we are going to have ten robots up there or whatever, so I want to be guy that wants to learn how to use them, because that's the next stage.

"You just have to embrace it and go forward with it and that's how you'll be successful."

Mr Bennett applied to retire a couple of years ago and has been gradually handing over his responsibilities to his successor.

"I've come to the stage where I have found younger managers are coming up with the ideas I used to come up with," he said.

Now he plans to help out with wife Christine's gardening maintenance business, spending more time in his allotments, continuing with his cycle rides, and travelling the world.

But his painting skills may be needed in the immediate future, with the grandfather revealing his has been told his 'house needs decorating from top to bottom'.

He added: "I say to people 'you get out of anything what you put into it'. Call me a company man, call me a factory man... call me what you like; I don't care. But this has been my life and I have dedicated my life to this place.

"I don't think they give enough credit to my wife – who gets me out of bed every morning."