Fly the Flag!

I understand SAAB might be about to rise from the grave.

Good thing I say, despite their solvency struggles leading them to produce badge-engineered Vauxhalls not very well, they always had a certain flair, right back to the three cylinder two-stroke (96?) I drove in the 1960s

Moggy

Nice to think that, but GM kept hold of a a good number of originally developed Saab innovations, leaving any future manufacturer short on that “certain flair”, pity.

I sold a good number of Saabs in my time, had less problems than just about every other make of car I dealt with, in spite of the cloth cap image in some peoples minds, the various turbo-charged Saabs were good fun and pretty quick.

I remember when I was a wee lad of about 14 a friends single mum had an original Fiat 500 and was taking me and her 2 sons to a party, on the way she had a flat and we then found she had no jack, so the three of us lifted it and held it up while she swopped the wheel.. The things you would do to get to an underage drinking party 🙂

That was the day when the metal content and hence weight of a car was next to nothing.

I understand SAAB might be about to rise from the grave.

Good thing I say, despite their solvency struggles leading them to produce badge-engineered Vauxhalls not very well, they always had a certain flair, right back to the three cylinder two-stroke (96?) I drove in the 1960s

Moggy

What’s even more remarkable is the Lancia Thema, Fiat Croma and the Saab 9000 shared a jointly developed body and floor pan, the Saab had better side impact protection but visually all very similar bodies.

Saab 9000s are still out and about in regular use, now play spot the Fiat or Lancia alternative, amazing the difference in build quality. :rolleyes:

Ahhh the Lancia… For the sporty types there was no need to fit lowering Springs, simply wait a year for the suspension to come up through the wings.

I had a new Fiat 128 within 2 years most panels were penitrated with rust!

Live and learn i thought as I lived in Luton at the time.

FIAT 131 Mirafiori, chained to a rock near a lighthouse.

Backfired horribly – everybody who had a spot of rust on their 131 wrote to FIAT complaining that they had been stuffed with the actual car

Moggy

I seem to remember an advert by some car manufacturer whereby the car manufacturer actualy put one of their cars “Out to Sea” it was tethered to something, although I cannot remember what, just to prove how rustproof their cars were. Anyone remember this Ad ?.
Jim.
Lincoln .7

Apologies for the temporary loss of thread. The ‘gold’ standard for the car that once removed from the showroom disappeared before your very eyes has to be the late 70’s Lancia !

Never was so much, not missed by so many, so quickly ! – Sorry Winnie.

John Green

The Victor MK1 would melt in the rain, it was possibly the worst bodied car ever, only matched by the early Datsuns, mind you the next Victor the FB, wasn’t exactly resistant to the tin worm, if you saw a used one in apparently good condition, the odds were very high that the body was composed of mainly fibreglass and filler.

J Boyle.

John, if the Vauxhall Victor was the one that was brown and mustard coloured, then Texas would be the only place on earth where that model survived the rust bug. My Mother purchased a brand new one of those, and in the space of a year it had completely rusted out. I would imagine there may be a few members who also remember this particular model.It took many years for Vauxhall to get over this.and sales plummeted.because the public lost faith in Vauxhalls.
Jim.

Lincoln .7

bazv….So I think we can safely say your Knighthood is out of the window then?.:p Hang on a minute, would you accept one if offered?.
Jim.

Lincoln.7

You are so right Jim…aint gonna happen 🙂 LOL

I have helped you here by indicating the ones I didn’t leave out. The rest are all specialists, not volume car makers and if lumped together still probably didn’t manufacture as many cars as Nissan make Qashqais each year in Sunderland

Moggy

IMHO, Jaguar was a bit more than a specialist maker…the MkII and its brothers were luxury cars a popular prices. At one time, every decent-sized US city had a Jag dealer, not like that today. Too bad the UK didn’t have the middle/upper middle class in the 50s-60s that it has today. Judging by the numbers of BMWs, Benzs and Audis I see on UK streets, the money is there for luxury cars.

Again, how much of the Nissan is designed in the UK?
Probably not much and hardly representative of “UK industry”.
Also, where are the engines and transmissions made? (significant components are often) imported.

UK Ford and GM operations were often British designed with all major components made in the UK. And those were often exported…I recall seeing a Vauxhall Victor in the middel of Texas. (Although that did change, when Ford imported Capris to the US in the 70s, they came from German production lines…I’ve heard because of quality issues. Likewise the 2.8L engine in one of my Mustangs was built in Germany).
Not just a final assembly operation as seems the case today.

I was shouting at him something like ‘U bukin fastard’ and one of our fawning commitee was then on at me not to swear in front of the royals LOL…I just said to him that they had no intention of joining our club and were just freeloading so why worry ;):D

rgds baz

I think the Duke of Edinburgh would have laughed 😀

But you leave out the rest of the industry…

Standard (BLMC), Daimler, Austin (BLMC), MG (BLMC), Bristol (with looted/war prize BMW pre-war technology), Rolls, Bentley, Lagonda, Sunbeam (Rootes), AC, Allard,, Aston Martin, Jaguar, Humbler (Rootes), Woosley (BLMC), Morgan, Lotus, TVR, Reliant (and others I’m probably forgetting)….many of which had healthy export totals.

No, various UK governments killed its auto industry as effectively as it killed airframe makers.

I have helped you here by indicating the ones I didn’t leave out. The rest are all specialists, not volume car makers and if lumped together still probably didn’t manufacture as many cars as Nissan make Qashqais each year in Sunderland

Moggy

bazv….So I think we can safely say your Knighthood is out of the window then?.:p Hang on a minute, would you accept one if offered?.
Jim.

Lincoln.7

I dont think there are too many posts on here saying that the monarchy should be scrapped Moggy…only that it should be scaled down…there are still many NVIP’s costing us money,and the Land controlled by the ‘family’ was never bought by them so does give them a good start in life eh!
I am probably not against the Monarchy ‘per se’ – I am more against privilege and ‘Rank’ or ‘Class’.
I am always polite to people but would baulk at having to say ‘sir’ or ‘your majesty’ to anybody!
I remember some very minor royals visited my gliding club some years ago,the tuggie decided to rev up his Pawnee just in front of my glider (and splattering the wee thing with gravel) so perhaps understandably I was shouting at him something like ‘U bukin fastard’ and one of our fawning commitee was then on at me not to swear in front of the royals LOL…I just said to him that they had no intention of joining our club and were just freeloading so why worry ;):D

rgds baz

And back in the great days it was Ford (USA), Vauxhall (USA), Rootes Chrysler (USA and some France) Oh yes, and BLMC
Moggy

Rootes wasn’t owned by Chrysler for long.
And Fords & Vauxhall’s produts were frequently designed in the UK, I don’t think that’s the case with today’s Hondas, Nissans, etc, etc.

But you leave out the rest of the industry…
Standard, Daimler, Austin, MG, Bristol (with looted/war prize BMW pre-war technology), Rolls, Bentley, Lagonda, Sunbeam, AC, Allard,, Aston Martin, Jaguar, Humbler, Woosley, Morgan, Lotus, TVR, Reliant (and others I’m probably forgetting)….many of which had healthy export totals.

No, various UK governments killed its auto industry as effectively as it killed airframe makers.

John. Yes we had to Swear an oath also, looking back now, I have to laugh at the bit that says, “And to protect life and property” I used to shake door handles on my beat in Stamford at night.Yes, we carried a Warrant card but as in time it got tatty they then invented a laminated card with your photo.I still have mine somewhere.
I don’t know why X Coppers are cynical of the Royals, perhaps you are refering to the X Met, who on Royal occasions had their days off, Annual leave cancelled for some Royal event.Mind you, they never seemed to care when at the end of the month they saw just how much extra in overtime they recieved.;)
Jim.
Lincoln .7

Re 113

Moggy C

That’s a bit of a mystery. When I was in the Armed Forces, I was paid by the taxpayer but served the Crown – in some mysterious way !

I thought that the Police were in more or less the same category ? I’m almost certain that they have to swear an Oath and carry a Warrant Card that is, nominally anyway, an illustration of Crown service ?

Most of the coppers I know, three in number, past and present, tend to be a bit cynical about the Royals.

John Green