[Capitalist]

In light of the recent crisis embracing the American automobile industry I thought I would post this documentary, made eight years ago, regarding the reasons behind the downfall of the British motor industry. The documentary is presented by Jeremy Clarkson:

There is also this clip on the rise of Japanese vehicles but I could only find the first part:

[justaguy]

Did it say it was the British government that killed the B.M.I. ? Because that is who did it.

[QatzelOk]

I just watched the first five minutes of the first documentary segment. And it's very funny as well as notalgic/kitsch.

"Aston Martin, Jaguar and Land Rover are owned by the Americans. Rolls Royce, the Germans."

It's like vintage World War Two over there, isn't it.

[guzzipat]

I wouldn't hold my breath till Clarkson got the right answer. he is entertaining but politically one dimensional.

What killed the British Car industry would be exactly the same as what killed the motorcyle indusrty years earlier and most of the rest of British manufacturing.
A class system that ensured mediocre or downright poor management, chronic shortermism, lack of investment (especially R&D) and poor design. A greedy dealership network giving poor quality service and a refusal to stand behind their products.

The main industry in quantity terms was American anyway, Ford at Dagenham and GM at Luton, they still exist. Austin and Morris were only bought by old ladies with a blue hair rinse in Eastborne or Bognor. Who the hell would be seen dead in an Austin Allegro? Or a Morris Marina ? As for the swan song Rover, fine cars years ago, BMW only wanted the mini and dumped the rest. Horid cars anyway a disgrace to a famous old marque.

The British industry now consists of a very nice group of inedpendent sports car makers like Morgan, Caterham amd others, making excellent cars for special markets. The latest Caterham for instance has the best BHP per Kilo in the world and is faster than a Bugati Veyron but only 1/10th the money.
That is what we do best and always have, plus of course F1 cars most of which are made in England.

[franfran]

I think you have to go back to the early 1960s to see what killed the British car industry, as it was a long lingering death.

Bad management by the Car Companies - they were content to produce a good or even outstanding car and then never develop it further; they didn't cost things properly; they made spur of the moment marketing decisions without fully considering the consequences (think of Leonard Lord, for example) and Leyland in particular had too wide a range of cars, with many of them competing against eachother.

Unrealistic demands by the Unions - the decline of the British car industry seemed to coincide with the dying days of the old style of confrontational union tactics.

The Press - From what I have read, it seems that unfairly criticising British cars (in particular Leyland) - but not for some reason, foreign cars - in the UK press was quite commonplace back in the seventies.