BMW's Mini plant in Britain closes for four weeks from Monday and Peugeot's Vauxhall car factory shuts for two weeks in moves planned months ago to help the firms deal with any disruption resulting from Brexit, which has since been delayed.

BMW, which builds just over 15 percent of Britain's 1.5 million cars, moved its annual summertime shutdown to April to "minimise the risk of any possible short-term parts-supply disruption in the event of a no-deal Brexit."

Peugeot parent company PSA, which builds Astra models branded as Vauxhall in Britain and Opel on the continent at its Ellesmere Port factory, has brought forward its shutdown in a decision made at the end of last year, a spokesman said.