MG Rover collapse
- Thread starter F1GTR
- 94 comments
- 3,806 views
- 535
I know Longbridge isn't Abingdon, but those cars are kin to mine and this is fully sad news to me.
- 4,805
Umm.....links?
- 4,805
GTRacer4
Ah I see. This REALLY sucks! Gonna go look for an article I can read on it.
- 1,264
- 465
This is terrible news, tho been on the cards for years really, I am really feeling gutted at the moment 
. What a shame for that region a lot of people are involved in MG/Rover in one way or another. Why cant we do things properly in the UK 
.
. What a shame for that region a lot of people are involved in MG/Rover in one way or another. Why cant we do things properly in the UK .
- 3,323
- GTP_Mark
- Mark T33
I believe the current Chinese owners bought Rover for £10, but they incurred the £100k a day debt that went with it. Rover was exactly 100 years old today aswell.
I feel sorry for the 6000 people that loose there jobs while the chiefs at the top will probably walk away with millions and a big fat pension.
I feel sorry for the 6000 people that loose there jobs while the chiefs at the top will probably walk away with millions and a big fat pension.
- 87,577
- Rule 12
- GTP_Famine
I just don't get why we should feel sorry for MG Rover, or why we should keep pushing financial aid at it. Sure, the people losing their jobs need assistance, but the company has been pushing the same technologically outdated crap for the last decade. Then they provide next to no customer support, which is laughable considering how often their "products" fail.
As I posted elsewhere:
WHY should taxpayer's money be perpetually funnelled into a private company which cannot manage itself? Why should I feel sorry that the "last British volume car manufacturer" is going under when the cars it's been making in volume haven't changed in a decade and were complete and total pants even when they FIRST came out?
As I posted elsewhere:
Famine
WHY should taxpayer's money be perpetually funnelled into a private company which cannot manage itself? Why should I feel sorry that the "last British volume car manufacturer" is going under when the cars it's been making in volume haven't changed in a decade and were complete and total pants even when they FIRST came out?
Race Idiot
(Banned)
- 11,439
- Sao Tome and Principe
I mean aren't they still using a 10 year old honda chassis for most of their cars? The Citi rover is a rebadged Indian car, I bet they managed to sell a whole two of them.
- 745
Sad for those 6000 people who are losing there job's.
I don't realy care about MG Rover, I do feel sorry for those employees though.
I don't realy care about MG Rover, I do feel sorry for those employees though.
- 2,568
- we're waiting for the PS4
- fishtailrook1 (?)
mabey they shoulda went ahead and hauled the MGF to the sates after all...but they probably couldn't afford all the safety and emissions equipment required by law for over here...
And thus...the final british auto manufacturer bites the dust
Race Idiot
(Banned)
- 11,439
- Sao Tome and Principe
Sniffs
They couldn't get the Elise with the K series engine in America, so I don't think the MGF would have been sellable unless they used a different powerplant.
- 9,089
- Scotland
will a day ever go by when we wont hear that MG rover is in trouble come on the media are making a bigger deal of this than it really is.if MGR have no money then why are they entering the DTM and Sports car championships.just wait MGR will live on
- 535
Famine, MG got by from 1962 to 1980 selling the MGB, a car that incurred no major changes in its design during that time period.
But they kept the old Abingdon plant alive all day and night churning out MGB's, to the tune, ultimately, of 513,272 MGB's sold.
The budget model, the MG Midget, also soldiered on pratcially unchanged from 1961 to 1979, selling over 226,000 examples plus a further 130,000 of the mechanically identical (and in MkII guise, completely identical) Austin-Healey Sprites which started production in 1958.
MG has always made fun, cheap little cars that are lovable in their own right. Their motto was "Safety Fast", which wasn't meant to mean simple occupant safety, but an ease and practicality of use that meant that an MG was a safe car to own.
Those halcyon days of Abingdon's finest may be just glimmer in the eye of us who caught the Octagon Spirit, but the company tried their damnedest with the limited funds they had to once again produce cheap fun cars.
I don't want to see the Octagon badge fall by the wayside because of Rover's missteps, because losing MG would be a cruel blow to the hearts of sports car fans the world over. Trailing only the Miata and the sum total of Nissan Z's, the MGB is the world's #3 best selling sports car ever. The car has scored class wins in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, 12 Hours of Sebring, the Monte Carlo Rally, and the Targa Florio.
We can't let the company that created the definitive classic British sports car go away. It'd be like losing Ferrari because Fiat didn't sell enough Topolinos.
But they kept the old Abingdon plant alive all day and night churning out MGB's, to the tune, ultimately, of 513,272 MGB's sold.
The budget model, the MG Midget, also soldiered on pratcially unchanged from 1961 to 1979, selling over 226,000 examples plus a further 130,000 of the mechanically identical (and in MkII guise, completely identical) Austin-Healey Sprites which started production in 1958.
MG has always made fun, cheap little cars that are lovable in their own right. Their motto was "Safety Fast", which wasn't meant to mean simple occupant safety, but an ease and practicality of use that meant that an MG was a safe car to own.
Those halcyon days of Abingdon's finest may be just glimmer in the eye of us who caught the Octagon Spirit, but the company tried their damnedest with the limited funds they had to once again produce cheap fun cars.
I don't want to see the Octagon badge fall by the wayside because of Rover's missteps, because losing MG would be a cruel blow to the hearts of sports car fans the world over. Trailing only the Miata and the sum total of Nissan Z's, the MGB is the world's #3 best selling sports car ever. The car has scored class wins in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, 12 Hours of Sebring, the Monte Carlo Rally, and the Targa Florio.
We can't let the company that created the definitive classic British sports car go away. It'd be like losing Ferrari because Fiat didn't sell enough Topolinos.
- 26,628
- OREGON
- a6m5zero
What is up with the British auto manufactures? They have fine engineers and technology, IMO. Yet, their car companies either struggles, or are owned by car makes from another country. I couldn't believe it when I heard MG Rover was trying to sell itself to an Chinese car company(now I don't feel so bad about Nissan begging Renault for help).
Rolls Royce, Bentley, Jaguar, Lotus, Land Rover, Aston Martin and Mini are the British manufactures, known worldwide. As far as I know, they are all owned by the Americans or the Germans. This is crazy!
P.S. I didn't include smaller companies that's not commonly recognized overseas. TVRs aren't even sold here in the states(our loss). 👎
Rolls Royce, Bentley, Jaguar, Lotus, Land Rover, Aston Martin and Mini are the British manufactures, known worldwide. As far as I know, they are all owned by the Americans or the Germans. This is crazy!
P.S. I didn't include smaller companies that's not commonly recognized overseas. TVRs aren't even sold here in the states(our loss). 👎
- 87,577
- Rule 12
- GTP_Famine
Layla's Keeper
And Morgan got by from 1126BC by making the ash-chassised Plus Four.
But these days you CANNOT do that. Major manufacturers are replacing models once every 2 years - or at the very least giving them a serious facelift. Ford's Focus is the longest-lived major model I can think of in the current decade, and that was only because it was so fresh when it was introduced and had peerless handling. In fact, to date, I can only think of two other cars in that class which use the independant rear suspension introduced at that level by Ford.
MG Rover is trying to fight for sector space with the MGTF, MG ZR, MG ZS and MG ZT. Let's look at those models, shall we?
MGTF - Introduced in 2002. Based upon MGF, introduced in 1995, with no major technological alterations. Roughly 105,000 sold, peak sales of 14,700 in 1997. Competing for market space with the Mazda MX-5 which sold 9,300 units in 2003. In just the UK... Granted, the MX-5 hasn't changed much since 1989 either, but it perpetually receives "Best Handling" awards (including AutoCar in 2003). The MGF has never had such a winning formula.
MG ZR - Introduced in 2001. Based upon Rover 25 (1999) which was itself based upon the Rover 200 (1989), with no major technological alterations. Gets terrible crash test results and is severely hamstrung in the most competitive sector of the market. It's up against the Ford Fiesta (which, for comparison, has had four models since the Rover 200 arrived - 1989-1995, 1995-1998, 1998-2002, 2002-), FIAT Punto, BMW MINI, Vauxhall/Opel Corsa, Honda Jazz, Peugeot 206, Renault Clio - need I go on? The ZR has sold 70,000 cars since 2001. The Fiesta alone sells this many in 6 months.
MG ZS - Introduced in 2001. Facelifted in 2003. Based upon Rover 45 (2000), which was itself based upon the Rover 400 (1990), with no major technological alterations. Competes for market space with the UK's best selling car - the Focus - along with the VW Golf, Honda Civic, Vauxhall Astra, Peugeot 307, Renault Megane, Ford Mondeo, BMW 3-series - this list is almost endless. There are no sales figures I can find for the ZS, but it apparently makes 25% of MG Rover's sales. Given their sales in 2004, this makes for about 8000 cars last year - the Focus sells this in ONE MONTH.
MG ZT - Introduced in 2001. Facelifted in 2003. Based upon Rover 75 (1999) - making it MG Rover's newest, freshest mainstream car. Has sold 800 this year. Competing for market space with the BMW 5-series, Jaguar S-Type, Mercedes E-class, VW Passat, Skoda Octavia.
Put simply, MG Rover's cars are outdated. They are "fighting" for market space with some of the most successful cars - in which innovation is key and models are designed two generations ahead - with cars designed in the last century or, in the case of the "best-selling" ZR, nearly TWENTY years ago.
They are a private concern. Tell me why we, the British people, should be either concerned or feel responsible and compelled to help out when a private business goes under through simply failing to provide what customers - that'll be us, the British people - want? If we don't want their cars - and we clearly don't - why do we have to give them "loans" through our taxes to keep making them?
- 2,568
- we're waiting for the PS4
- fishtailrook1 (?)
apparently, you haven't heard they finally fenageled the Elise over into the American Market, now. it was a test member for Motor Trend's Car of the Year.
oh, and Famine...they have a five year replacement gap in the states. they swapped over bodies once a year in the fifties in the US...when were were making gobs of money
. they're dumping 20 year old labels and bringing out new ones...but people are still harping it's an old design...because they don't make whole new platforms for the cars...a6m5...you forgot TVR...i STILL want a tuscan.
- 87,577
- Rule 12
- GTP_Famine
Sniffsoh, and Famine...they have a five year replacement gap in the states. they swapped over bodies once a year in the fifties in the US...when were were making gobs of money
Indeed - but MG is a European car manufacturer selling cars predominantly in the European market. With the rate of change and progress over here you cannot afford to flog 16 year old cars with lacklustre reliability for £16,000.
- 4,805
They get a Loan! 6.5 million pounds!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/vote_2005/frontpage/4429663.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/vote_2005/frontpage/4429663.stm
I thought the GM still owned them(GM sold Lotus in '93).
- 1,019
- Canada
- n00bxqb
With the Toyota 2ZZ-GE, not the Rover KSniffs
It could also be argued that a loan to save 6000+ decent wage jobs is worth it when you take into account the taxes contributed by the employees/business and the economical benefits, especially to the local area ...
Although I still completely agree with Famine ...
- 24,127
- Scarfolk
- Grim10
- Are you kidding?
Famine
You still need to admire Morgan. As soon as they got the funds, they produced the Aero 8 rather than improving the coffin dodgems that they were making (step forward, Plus 8.)
They even managed to shoehorn in a fantastic BMW V8. Yay!
ExigeEvan
Premium
- 17,192
Rover V8s are hardly selling any more either. And even Ford has admitted to stock pileing engines because they foresaw this happening.
What you have to ask is, which countries buy new British 'mainstream' cars presentley?
Ummm, Landrover maybe? Any other you can name?
That is why the British car manufacturing is failing. We fail to make enough low priced, quality cars for the likes of Europe and asia. We make sports cars well enough but that doesn't keep massive factories in business.
What you have to ask is, which countries buy new British 'mainstream' cars presentley?
Ummm, Landrover maybe? Any other you can name?
That is why the British car manufacturing is failing. We fail to make enough low priced, quality cars for the likes of Europe and asia. We make sports cars well enough but that doesn't keep massive factories in business.
