| Author |
Message |
    
Zinhead
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 24, 2002 - 11:52 pm: | 
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I came accross the following old advertisement, and by shear coincidence many of the firms represented have fallen into bankruptcy. I wonder why?
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Blue (Bluegill)
| | Posted on Thursday, April 25, 2002 - 11:14 am: |
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that's funny....."retain their reputations by specifying the very finest electrical equipment".........Goooooooooo LUCAS! |
Horness Spencer (Horness)
| | Posted on Thursday, April 25, 2002 - 11:56 am: |
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Not so much a cross, more of a head stone.
Wow - Ferrari are on there. 0-60 in ...oops it's all gone dark...
"Genuine LUCAS quality products are available at better garages and imported car dealers everywhere"
Yeah, just don't go after dark or else you'll never get home! |
Erik Olson (Jon)
| | Posted on Friday, April 26, 2002 - 01:49 am: |
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Except that a lot of those cars are still mfg. - ever been to Europe? Just cause you can't buy it in Idaho or Kansas don't mean it doesn't exist.
e |
Andy Nichols
| | Posted on Friday, April 26, 2002 - 08:15 am: |
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What do you mean? Fell into bankrupcy? - that's not true at all. Many of the English ones became "British Leyland", which was government run (perhaps that's the bankrupt/corrupt bit). Look them over again, most of them are alive and kicking and making much better cars than you can get at your local Ford, Chrysler or GM dealer in the USA. That's why the makers here are in trouble and imports/transplants are doing so well when the 'Big 3' are hurting so badly...... |
Jon Williams (Jonw)
| | Posted on Friday, April 26, 2002 - 11:51 am: |
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MG especially has been revived as the MG Rover Group, after comglomerating with Rover Cars when BMW washed their hands of them. The new MG cars are something to have. There's rumor spreading that they may sell them in the US one day, but it won't be soon enough. Besides, without MG Rover, none of the Freelanders would have their V6, as it is the KV6 made for the Rover 75 sedan and wagon. |
Zinhead
| | Posted on Saturday, April 27, 2002 - 12:59 pm: |
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There are a few badges I can't read, but here is a rollcall:
Simca - bankrupt, sold to Chrysler in the 70's
Morris - bankrupt, folded into British Leyland
MG - bankrupt, folded into BL, then BMW, now independent
Fiat - alive
Austin - bankrupt, BL
Metropilitan - bankrupt, BL
Rolls Royce - sold to BMW
Citroen - state owned and unprofitable until sold to Peugeot in the 70's.
AC - alive, barely
Rover - bankrupt, folded into BL, sold to BMW
Jaguar - bankrupt, folded into BL, sold to Ford in 1989
Ferrari - partially sold to Fiat in 60's, Fiat SPA now owns 100%
Vauxhall - GM's British division
Volvo - sold to Ford
Bently - owned by RR, sold to VW
Alfa Romeo - money losing state owned, sold to Fiat in 1986
Singer - bankrupt, folded into BL
Triumph - bankrupt, folded into BL
Riley - bankrupt, folded into BL
Cooper - bankrupt, folded into BL
Ford - stock tanked after it bought Land Rover
Austin Healy - bankrupt, folded into BL
Of the 22 brands, 14 went bankrupt. That includes the two stateowned companies that posted losses for many, many years before being privatised. And it was all the fault of Lucas. :-)
For those who know, British Leyland was a state owned holding company that kept bankrupt British car manufacturers, including LR, going for much of the 70's, 80's and 90's until they could be privatised. |
Jon Williams (Jonw)
| | Posted on Monday, April 29, 2002 - 12:25 pm: |
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One correction: Alfa Romeo is under the GM umbrella, since GM owns Fiat. |
Ron L
| | Posted on Monday, April 29, 2002 - 07:09 pm: |
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I thought cooper (mini) was bought by BMW |
Andy N
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 01, 2002 - 09:11 am: |
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Zinhead - you're wrong about the companies folded into BL - they were not bankrupt at all. Riley, MG etc - many were amalgamated a long time ago and became 'badge-engineering' versions of basic Morris and Austin group vehicles (you might remember the Austin American - which had Wolseley, Riley and MG versions in the U.K).
Singer wasn't a BL company but became Chrysler under Rootes group.
You should check your history. It's true that BL had some big problems subsequent to government ownership, but the companies which combined were not bankrupt! |
Randall Smith
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 01, 2002 - 10:20 am: |
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Didn't Chrysler Corp get bailed out by the federal govt? Is that Lucas's fault also?
Most small car production lines have shut down in the USA too. A $40,000 truck in the US is a $10,000 net profit to keep the rest of the worldwide divisions alive, and $5000 more for nonstop marketing. If those auto companies you listed had Exporeres to sell, they'd still be in business.
Randall |
Erik Olson (Jon)
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 01, 2002 - 04:00 pm: |
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Randall,
Good point - but you spelled "Exploder" incorrectly!
Cheers,
e |
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