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Save MG Rover
Classic Cars (UK) Classic Cars in the UK (uk.rec.cars.classic)
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#41
 
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Re: Save MG Rover -
04-12-2005
, 04:41 AM
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drugs began to take hold. I remember Andy Dingley dingbat (AT) codesmiths (DOT) com> saying something like: Around 10 years ago my parents bought a diesel turbo Maestro, with a Perkins engine. That engine admittedly didn't last long, but the engine and whole car were surprisingly good while it did. Gaud nose how they managed to kill a Perkins Maestro engine. Those things were almost indestructible. |
fitting one out of a Montego into his Series 3 Landrover. This is such a
popular conversion that rusty diesel Montegos and the like are now worth
well into three figures!
#42
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I blame Derek "Red" Robbo, but for the staff not to manage to reliably put cars together in the 25 odd years since he went is taking the piss. |
laughing. I'd ideally like for him to be buried in the same plot as MGR.
What British Leyland cound and should have become is the VAG of Britain,
but with their 20002 style breadth of range in 1972.
Instead of Battlin' Business Units, they should have been working
together; the SD1 6 cylinder powered by a detuned Jaguar XJ engine, the
Stag powered by the Rover V8, the 1300/1500 FWD Triumph platform ditched
in favour of Austin ADO16 Nomad type running gear and chassis. They had
some incredible ideas. Riley should have been killed off, Wolesely
developed as the Audi alternative (or perhaps vice versa, actually), MG
as the sporty alternative, Austin as VW/Skoda, Innocenti as Seat, Morris
as commercials, Triumph as BMW, Princess/Vanden Plas as Mercedes
alternatives (such as taking the Austin 3-litre and screwing it together
properly).
They could have taken the best platforms and built upon them. Instead of
the Marina being a revamped Morris 1000, it should have been a Triumph
Dolomite chassis. Instead of the 3-litre being killed off, it should
have been replaced with the P76. Imagine a P76 Vanden Plas... 4.4 litre...
Wouldn't have saved them, as the management would still have screwed up,
the workers would still have forgotten to paint the cars and left
sandwiches behind the dashboards, and Red Robbo would still have used BL
for his own political aims - though had the firm been successful, I
think the management would have had the balls to kick him out before he
reached that level of power.
Richard
--
RichardK - 1980s in a can. http://www.dmc12.demon.co.uk/music/
Retro computing - http://www.dmc12.demon.co.uk/retrotech/
Cars - 2004 Beetle Cabrio, 1989 Supra 3.0i, 1990 Sera
MidiGuitar, Enterprise 128, AU/X. Apple 77-04. See links
#43
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The Rover 75 was the Car of the Year when it was launched and in some quarters is viewed as better than the Jaguar S-type. 6 years ago. Where is the replacement? It's old - hardly worth buying a company for. |
--
Richard Porter
Mail to username ricp at domain minijem.plus.com
"You can't have Windows without pains."
#44
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Pete M (pete.murray (AT) blue-nopressedmeat-yonder (DOT) co.uk) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying : The SD1 was a David Bache development of one of a pair of Pininfarina styling concepts also ripped off by Citroen for the CX and (most obviously) the GS. http://www.landcrab.net/mainframes/m...farina1800.htm http://www.austin-rover.co.uk/images/pf1800.jpg |
Personally I think the SD1 owes more to the Ferrari Daytona than the Pinin
1800.
Apart from the C pillar design, the SD1 and P1800 don't have much in common
at all.
As I said, the SD1 was a David Bache design which evolved from the P10
project.
The P1800 is far closer to the GS than to SD1. To say the SD1 is derived
from it is like saying the Bentley Arnage is a direct crib of the HA Viva,
due to being a "three box" design.
--
Pete M
Mercedes 260E
Ford Capri (ressurection started)
"Never moon a werewolf"
COSOC #5
Scouse Git extraordinaire. Liverpool, Great Britain
#45
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Personally I think the SD1 owes more to the Ferrari Daytona than the Pinin 1800. |
the worse for it.
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Apart from the C pillar design, the SD1 and P1800 don't have much in common at all. |
Pininfarina Landcrab in my hand.
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The P1800 is far closer to the GS than to SD1. |
I'm presuming you're not referring to the Volvo P1800...?
#46
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and having driven a brand new Maestro a year or so ago, the chinese have made a bloody nice job of it too. Decent engine and build quality and nicely updated. Plus it sells for less than four grand. Are the Chinese making the diesel version also? And where on the web may we find these wondrous creatures? |
the DongFeng Fukang 988... - the Chinese CitZX-with-a-boot...
It's in top quality Engrish, and full of references to "the fukang car"
#47
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1) Ford were very happy to take Land Rover. |
too. But since they're gradually changing both into Ford based products,
it's only the names they really wanted. Not the manufacturing or design
skills. They just hoped for the customers.
BMW were already a 'posh' name, and didn't need another.
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2) BMW were more than happy to keep Mini. |
car name in the world. Then produced a totally new car which only bore a
slight resemblance to the old Mini. Which turned out to be a winner - and
is made in the UK, so saving or creating lots of jobs here.
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3) SAIC were rather keen on the production rights to the Rover 75 |
models. History is full of such things.
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4) Sales of the MG-ZR rose 10% in the first 3 months of 2005. 5) MGF is a very popular sports car. So what exactly of any significance is left from the MG-Rover range as a whole that made it such a disaster? |
could never be. Or rather not without the sort of vast investment the
large companies put in their bread and butter models. But most of these
are losing money too, as there are simply too many cars of this type being
made.
--
*I believe five out of four people have trouble with fractions. *
Dave Plowman dave (AT) davenoise (DOT) co.uk London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.
#48
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It's in top quality Engrish, and full of references to "the fukang car" |
being a direct translation from the Japanese.
It says something like:-
"For service, see your dealer, or the main agent for your country stamped
on the backside."
--
*A day without sunshine is like... night.
Dave Plowman dave (AT) davenoise (DOT) co.uk London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.
#49
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Are the Chinese making the diesel version also? And where on the web may we find these wondrous creatures? |
I'm not too sure if there is a diesel versions. The car badge was
that of FAW (www.faw.com) but I believe the production rights where
bought by a tobacco company called Etsong (http://www.etsong.com/).
Price was 60,000 Yuan... (£3,800).
I can't find any info on the web, not even on Chinese sites!
--
Howard Rose
1966 VW Beetle 1300 Deluxe
1962 Austin Mini Deluxe
1964 Austin Mini Super Deluxe
http://www.howard81.co.uk/ (cars on website)
#50
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3) SAIC were rather keen on the production rights to the Rover 75 It's common for 'developing' countries to buy decent but out of date models. History is full of such things. |
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