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I have seen all of these auto companies become swallowed up by outside companies throughout the years most of the time changing hands several times.
Jaguar and Land Rover: was owned by Ford for 8 years in 2000-2008. It was then sold to Indian-based Tata Motors back in March of 2008.
Bentley: Is owned by German-based VW Group.
Rolls-Royce and MINI: Are owned by BMW AG.
Lotus: Is owned by Malaysian-based Proton Holdings.
Even though all of these autos are still assembled in England do you consider them still to be British because of their parent company?
It's just kind of interesting for me to see England being once one of the largest auto countries in the world, to having every single brand bought out by outside countries.
The Labor mkt has been the downfall of all the auto MFGS.
The workers union is never content with a contract and always wants more and more when the time comes to a NEW signing.
Plant owners on the other hand need to have profits for the stock holders who are entitled due to their investment.
All one has to do is look at the past 50 yrs and see the cost of autos rise to the point where the avg person cannot afford to buy a new vehicle. Those that do are over extending themselves and the results are showing themselves today.
We cannot blame outside countries that have purchased the local country Auto MFGS or are conteplating a purchase. The proof is in the pudding so to speak.
The recent buying and then reselling tells volumes. Someone did not do their homework properly.
Getting to the US headache.
Detroit and the UAW have being combined created their own headache and now want the GOVMT to give them a FREE ride out of the headache.
Seems that that they both have forgotten the golden rule.
"Never bite the hand that feeds you" (in this case the MFGS and the BUYERS)
Our biggest manufacturers in the UK nowadays are Honda, Nissan and Toyota.
TVR got bought up by a Russian idiot playboy who cocked things up and spat it out.
Morgan is still going though.
As to whether those companies, Jaguar, LR, Mini etc are British- no, but if they produce the right product it doesn't matter so much. At least there is some investment being put into the UK.
When Jaguar were Jaguar they produced British cars that broke down- I know, cos I had them. The reliability and the investment improved under Ford, though I was in cultural shock mode for a while. At least that helped me prepare for it going to India.
Aston Martin I would still qualify as British, though it has overseas investment, since the vehicles are still designed and built in Warwichshire, and part of the private consortium was British.
And, while an even smaller player, Ariel is operating in Somerset for production of the Atom.
The others are all global vehicles with roots in Britain, though not exclusively British. Some have design cues from historic models, and they are icons, but the ownership decisions are made in line with larger business models, not the small boutique manufacturers that were hallmarks of British motoring.
I agree that Jaguar improved greatly under Ford, finally ditching the electronics problems that plagued them. Land Rover didn't change, since Ford was a placeholder after the BMW years. Aston Martin benefited from Ford, since it supplied capital to reinvigorate the model range.
Aston Martin I would still qualify as British, though it has overseas investment, since the vehicles are still designed and built in Warwichshire, and part of the private consortium was British.
And, while an even smaller player, Ariel is operating in Somerset for production of the Atom.
The others are all global vehicles with roots in Britain, though not exclusively British. Some have design cues from historic models, and they are icons, but the ownership decisions are made in line with larger business models, not the small boutique manufacturers that were hallmarks of British motoring.
I agree that Jaguar improved greatly under Ford, finally ditching the electronics problems that plagued them. Land Rover didn't change, since Ford was a placeholder after the BMW years. Aston Martin benefited from Ford, since it supplied capital to reinvigorate the model range.
Yeah, I would still consider Aston Martin British because the controlling interest is owned by British investment. But you have to remember that they still have investers in Kuwait and other foreign nations.
It's kind of funny that the countries that Great Britain use to control, now control Britain's auto industry. Oh, how the world changes.
A little off topic, but the last BMW I bought was "manufactured" in Germany, but "assembled" in Pretoria, South Africa. I sold it 400 miles later. (At a massive loss in instant depreciation as well.)
The badge on a car doesn't mean much any more. Unfortunately you have to do the research.
As for me. I'll not be buying another BMW, ever (or possibly any german car since they are all slipping Afro cars into the US under the AGOA.)
They hid this interesting little fact under the 11 digit of the VIN. Which on BMW's is "N" for the Afro-crap cars.
A little off topic, but the last BMW I bought was "manufactured" in Germany, but "assembled" in Pretoria, South Africa. I sold it 400 miles later. (At a massive loss in instant depreciation as well.)
The badge on a car doesn't mean much any more. Unfortunately you have to do the research.
As for me. I'll not be buying another BMW, ever (or possibly any german car since they are all slipping Afro cars into the US under the AGOA.)
They hid this interesting little fact under the 11 digit of the VIN. Which on BMW's is "N" for the Afro-crap cars.
I was at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit about two weeks ago, and the least expensive Mercedes-Benz (C-class I believe) was assembled in South Africa.
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How did I forget MG! The article is pretty sad, a British Car built in China. It looks like no one has any loyalty at all in what they do anymore.
