[CARDEEP]

^^^ That was the V2, I bet, much improved over the 1st gen Indica... but, surely not upto European standards.

[VeyronSuperSprt]

Originally Posted by invidious

Wasn't Rover re-branding Tata Indica and selling it as a re-branded City Rover? Talk about the Empire striking back.

Well, Tata owns Jaguar and Land Rover now !!

[PrideRed]

Nice thread. I believe its more to do with conservative nature of Brit's.
They hardly want change no matter what the current requirements are. Their cars never improved on reliability,affordability.

Are we missing something here--ASTON MARTIN?

[Thad E Ginathom]

Their cars never improved on reliability,affordability.

That is a bit unfair. Post-Japanese-car-era British built cars have been vastly better and more reliable.

Are we missing something here--ASTON MARTIN?

Premium brands don't count. As has been acknowledged, us Brits can do R&D and high-quality hands-on workmanship, and always could. Fifty years ago, the joke was, "We invent stuff: others make money out of it."

[PrideRed]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

us Brits can do R&D and high-quality hands-on workmanship, and always could.

I guess this is one of the factors for the fall. Not just British car's were affected but the majority of European car manufacturers. The Japs mechanized a lot which proved to be much more reliable, reduced cost of production,churned out new models faster. The American's too suffered but they reacted to the situation faster.

I agree with you that the British cars were/are at top when it comes to R&D and workmanship, but people/buyers were looking for something else.

[anjan_c2007]

Some of the finer points and attention to details, as observed in British cars are sorely missed. These features have left deep imprints in the world of automobile history and have become passe now. Here are some of the many features from British cars of yore, that contribute to their iconic image till today. Nowhere else can such attention to detail and a long, healthy life (provided maintenance and spares become available)of the cars be expected.They were truly built to last and were very DIY and user friendly on the whole.





The Rover 3.0 litre has four separate points , one for each wheel to jack up the car.



The dash of this Triumph is so beautifully crafted



The original chrome still shines (my Landmaster 1955) and outshines that of many newer cars



The original chrome still shines (friend's Morris Oxford 1966) and outshines that of many newer cars



Dash of the Rover 3.0 litre is so elegant (needs lots of TLC) and classy



Dash of an Austin 8- the classic British touch



Dash of a Ford Prefect - though from an American company the Dagenham plant in U.K. made these beauties to suit the market needs of Great Britain, its colonies and Europe



The windscreen of a Ford Prefect opens thus. Similarly those of the Austin 8, Morris 8 and many British cars of the late 1930's and 40's could be opened.



Dashboard of a Morris Oxford Series III (our Ambassador) from Quality First



Interior of a Morris Oxford Series II (our Landmaster) with leather seats from Quality First



Dash of a 1951 Hillman Minx



Original leather upholstery of a Hillman Minx of 1951 vintage- needs TLC but the moot point is that these were people's cars and came with factory fitted leather upholstery. The Austin 8,10,12 etc and also the Morris 8 and Oxford MO Series came fitted with leather upholstery.Our Landmasters, Hindustan 10's and 14's were as a rule fitted with leather upholstery as these were assembled from CKD/SKD kits received from the U.K.

[anjan_c2007]

An article in The Times of India, Mumbai, from April 2000, chronicling the once flourishing British car industry and some of the things that led to its downfall.



Loved to read what the article says about the glory of Brand Austin:

(1) If all the roads of the Empire led to London, those roads were sure to be filled with Austins.

(2) If God was indeed an Englishman, then be assured that he too would have driven an Austin.

(3) God could have been any nationality at all and he would have still driven an Austin.

[anjan_c2007]

The latest victim happens to be the London taxi cab, which appears to be on the way out. I think it will be very sad if the London taxi perishes. The writing on the wall is clear.
This link for further details:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/beyond...ars-bikes.html

[vintagepoint5]

Now London Cab will be made in China, according to the article:

Source:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/art...abs-China.html (attached pic of new London Cab)

Production of car parts for the iconic London black cab will be shifted to China in a move costing 60 jobs, it was announced today.

Body panels and chassis for the latest TX4 model will be made in Shanghai following a round of cost cuts implemented by automotive manufacturer Manganese Bronze.

The firm’s Coventry-based subsidiary London Taxis International has manufactured the cabs since 1948 but will now merely assemble them in the latest blow to Britain’s beleaguered car industry.

*****
Geely emerging Chinese Car manufacturing company, also introduced medium segment cars in KSA, Geely small version and medium segment Emgrand cars. Geely also famous for making replica of RR.
*****

It is sad to see famous British cars disappeared, we grow up using famous marques like Austin, Morris, Rover, Hillman, Humber, Standard Flying, Fords, etc.

Famous MG brand was purchased by Chinese Co. Nanjing and new model of MG will be introduce soon.

Cheers!

[shankar.balan]

All the icons vanishing 'east-wards'!

Even if the LTX is made in China, I hope it still continues to ferry people up and down in London! There was some talk of it being completely phased put and replaced with something more modern. That would be sad, because for many of us, London would simply not be the same without those lovely Black Cabs!

[anjan_c2007]

A small news item featuring the Austin Metro that was launched in the mid-1970's. Till then, the U.K. car industry was doing well. Austins are history and so is the British car industry !

[gupta_chd]

Originally Posted by anjan_c2007

A small news item featuring the Austin Metro that was launched in the mid-1970's. Till then, the U.K. car industry was doing well. Austins are history and so is the British car industry !

Attachment 1024563

It is complete news to me. I think if it had happened, it mat have been alive and doing well. Any thoughts?

[anjan_c2007]

Reminiscing the good old days when British cars ruled the roost !



(from an old issue of Automobile Magazine, UK )
Nearly every other small car sold in the world was British. British colonies,erstwhile colonies and many other countries imported them as only Germany, Italy and France offered quality small cars, but the British cars were most loved by a majority of car buyers all across the world.

[anjan_c2007]

With the ascent of Mrs Thatcher as Prime Minister in 1979, the death knell for the British car industry was sounded. British Leyland, Longbridge, had since the past few years become the centre for walkouts, union militancy, strikes and so on. British Leyland, the conglomerate had by 1968 become the fourth largest car maker in the world, after the Big three of the US.
According to Birmingham Mail "The BBC had once claimed that between 1978 and 1979 Robinson was credited with causing 523 walkouts at British Leyland, costing an estimated £200 million in lost production."
The decay had already started since about a decade earlier. Militancy and shoddy products from British Leyland and some other British companies meant Ford was doing better in U.K. and the Japanese invasion of the U.K. market had begun.

The workforce:



Derek Robinson nicknamed Red Robbo - speaks to striking British Leyland workers in Cofton Park



Derek Robinson - Red Robbo - addresses a rally of British Leyland workers



Derek Robinson leads Longbridge workers on a march. Incidentally Sir Michael Edwardes (in the posters) was then with British Leyland

(Birmingham Mail website)

The link here for more details:

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news...eyland-2572433

[Thad E Ginathom]

Amazing pictures!

Offtopic, but

(Birmingham Mail website)

My father spent his working life at the Birmingham Post and Mail

Please remember that it takes two to have an industrial dispute. My view has always been that if things go wrong, it is management's fault --- because management is supposed to take responsibility.

It is true that, in certain industries, unions got way out of hand, but it still took two sides to allow things to get that way. Without the unions, though, matchgirls would still be dying of phosphorous poisoning.

Ford might be American, but the Fords of my childhood (Zodiac, Zephyr, Consul...) felt like British cars (they were British built, I think?). They might well not start on a cold wet morning, and it took just a few years before rust holes started appearing. It was Japan that showed us that a car could be reliable.