Hi Philip:
While I realize that I neglected to mention it, as I had assumed that my
e-mail address would announce the fact, I am not an American but a proud
member of the Commonwealth and recognize Elizbeth II as the Queen of
Canada. I have owned many LBCs and FBBs (Fast British Bikes) over a period
of 40 years and feel qualified to make statements about them. I might add
that I drove my first LBC in 1954 - even though I was not yet old enough to
be licensed.
The American automobile industry suffered from three major obstacles during
the past 25 years. One was competition from Japan, the next was
environmental legislation and the third was two major gasoline crises. The
quality of the vehicles was never a question. The concept of the vehicle
was. Yes, the American auto industry suffered from an unwillingness to
address the problem directly, but it was caught by the distractions of
environmental needs which sucked up its R&D money and a gasoline crisis
which made its most profitable vehicles unsaleable.
American automobile companies had been building small, fuel efficient
automobiles since the late thirties. However, they sold to a minority and
in some cases resulted in the failure of the parent company. They were not
in demand on a continent with vast distances and abundant fuel.
Automobiles such as the Willys, the Hudson Jet and the Henry J were brave
attempts to sell economy and efficiency. They didn't sell.
The Volkswagen began the pressure toward modern small automobiles in North
America, coupled with the 1958 recession and the resulting success of the
Rambler which began life in 1950 but was initially not well-received.
These were followed by the highly successful Ford Falcon, Plymouth Valiant
and Chevrolet Corvair. These were subsequently replaced by the Ford
Maverick and Pinto, Chevrolet Vega and Pontiac Astre. Small fuel-efficient
cars were common in North America all through the '60s and '70s - they just
didn't sell as well as the bread and butter cars.
During the fifties, many LBCs were sold in North America but their largest
sales period was in the late forties when anything new would sell to a
car-starved population. Here in Canada, LBCs were much more common on a
per capita basis than in the US, with the exception of California and
sportscars. Canadians had stronger and more traditional ties to the UK
than the US.
You speak of of today's Britain. I am talking about the seventies when the
collapse in British manufacture took place. Yes, there are some wonderful
British products being built today. There are also some wonderful products
being built throughout the world. Britain was a world-leader and dropped
the ball.
Today, how much of the British industry is British owned? You compare the
Corvette to the XK8. Ford owns Jaguar, GM owns Corvette. Compare the
price. Here in Canada, an XK8 costs nearly twice as much as a Corvette. I
would expect it to be a better car. As to determining the quality of
materials from examining the cars on the stand at an auto show, I am not
sure what you mean. Perhaps the Jaguar has real wood. Did you compare the
chassis by lying on the floor to look at them or the engines by examining
their internal construction? I am quite certain that the Corvette will
still be running long after the Jaguar has become recycled steel. American
automobiles have bee the world's best, without question, in terms of
durability and cost of operation over the long term. This was true in the
'30s to the '70s. It will probably be true in the '90s.
You mention the large number of Japanese cars in the US. This is true
because the Americans are no fools. The Japanese build an excellent car
and more important, they build it in the US at a competitive price. Nearly
every Japanese manufacuturer has a US factory. For that matter, the Honda
Gold Wing motorcycle - the world's best touring bike - is manufactured only
in the US and has been since 1981.
You mention the new British Triumph Motorcycle. This excellent machine is
manufactured in Britain, in a new purpose-built plant, and is owned by
largely British interests. However, many if not most of its components are
manufactured elsewhere, principally in Germany, Italy and Japan. This is
typical of the world today.
You mention Harley-Davidson. Yes, the design of this machine is antiquated
but this is by choice. The choice of the customer. The machine is
thoroughly modern in all other respects and features many Japanese and
Italian parts because they are the best. H-D production is still largely
spoken-for prior to manufacture and there are still waiting lists. In
fact, the H-D is rather like what many of us have wished for - a "new" MG.
It is a vehicle which evokes the traditions of the past in a new
embodiment. It is also incredibly successful.
As to telephone advances, I have no doubt there are better systems. Don't
lose sight of the fact that all of Britain would fit into my province of
Alberta - with room left over for Italy and Alberta is only the
fourth-largest province. These kinds of distances make changes to
transmission systems very costly and difficult. We will get these
improvements in time - if the cost can be justified in dramatic
improvements. As to improvements in radio systems, most cars today use
compact disc systems with much less demand for radio being manifested.
Radio is somewhat of a dying industry in North America.
BTW, do people in Britain still drive at night without using their
headlamps? When I questioned this system some years ago, my uncle replied
that this was done to "save the electricity".
John McEwen
>>This car had lots of company. The failure of the British motorcycle
>>industry at the same time was due to exactly the same reasons. A kind of
>>national arrogance, unwillingness to commit to forward planning, sloppy
>>construction, building to a price (low), general inability to recognize and
>>react to superior competition, and complete disinterest on the part of
>>stockholders saw the world's largest and most successful motorcycle industy
>>disappear in the space of a decade. It was merely a harbinger of the death
>>of the British auto industry which was among the world's largest just a
>>three decades before.
>
>
>>How could names like Austin, Morris, MG, Sunbeam, Triumph completely
>>disappear without a massive national outcry? Imagine the reaction in the
>>US if Chevrolet, Ford, Dodge, Lincoln, Cadillac and Chrysler simply
>>disappeared as automobile marques in a few short years - to be replaced by
>>Japanese, Korean and European vehicles. Imagine the response in the US if
>>BMW, Volkswagen, Mercedes, Honda and Toyota simply bought every American
>>nameplate and replaced them with clones of their own products. It happened
>>in Britain.
>
>Now hang on, an American calling the British arrogant?? :-)
>
>I've seen far more Japanese cars in the US than in Britain or Europe. The
>US car industry was a joke until a couple of years ago, when it pulled
>its socks up and started trying to catch up with foreign imports.
>
>In fact, I looked at some US offerings at the London Motor Show and was
>disappointed at the poor quality engineering and materials. Just compare
>a 98 Corvette with a 98 Jaguar and you'll see what I mean.
>
>And you mention motorcycles: Take a look at a modern all-British Triumph
>and compare it with an argricultural Harley Davidson. :-)
>
>Some British car companies may be owned by foreign investors, but at
>least they produce decent products.
>
>There's nothing unusual in this foreign investment - British companies
>are very good at buying US companies. Look at Burger King - owned by
>Britain, but still very much American.
>
>There seems to be an arrogance among some Americans that makes them think
>that they are the most technologically advanced country on earth. But the
>USA is about the only part of the world where you can't use a GSM digital
>phone - you're still struggling with analogue, your car radios don't
>boast RDS, and you're not adopting digital radio broadcasting next year.
>Ummm, glad I live in good ol' Blightly.
>
>Having said all this, you're a good bunch generally, so don't take this
>badly! ;-)
>
>
>
>Philip Raby
>Editor, MG World
>PO Box 163, Bicester OX6 3YS, UK
>Tel: 01869 340061 Fax: 01869 340063 Mobile 0467 767361
>www.chp.ltd.uk
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