Okay for those of you who don't know, British Leyland was a UK car manufactury which in many ways was what Samick is for Asian made guitars: a big factory which makes cars under a large number of brandnames. Rover, Austin, Leyland, Rover and Triumph were at one point all made by British Leyland.
http://www.cjw-consulting.co.uk/webshop/BL_sticker.JPG
But I guess the most legandary BL car must be the mini.
http://bringatrailer.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/1967_Austin_Mini_Cooper_S_Mk2_For_Sale_Front_1.jpg
Going unchanged for a VERY long time this ten foot feat of engineering became a cult figure on four wheels. And the fact that it WAS left unchanged, never updated or re-designed to fit demands of changing times also led to it's downfall. But honor to those who deserve it, the Mini remains the longest produced British Leyland car ever. Spanning from 1959 to 2000.
But most of all BL cars are known for their lack of quality control, cars that came apart at the brim, engines that didn't work properly, wooden interior on their most deluxe models that had people getting splinters in their hands if they touched it... But by far the best was that after the Americans issued safety regulations on how high the headlights should be from the ground, BL sub brand MG, rather than modify their designs, just placed blocks underneath the coil spings of the suspencion making the car standing up higher.
Then there was the sibling rivalry, Austin, Morris, Rover and the other brands were under the British Leyland umbrella but there were no Austins made in the Rover factory and there were no Rovers made with Triumph and as a result, they actually competed with each other.
And then there were the strikes, management was just as bad as the cars, BL was trainwreck ready to happen. Jeremy Clarkson made a Special on BL prior to Top Gear's 2002 relaunch which explains it better.
Part one, Part two and Part Three
I guess the most bizarre twist was when Rover, a British motoring legend was sold to British Aerospace.
http://www.gatwick-aviation-museum.co.uk/harrier/graphics/xv751-1.jpg
The Hawker Harrier, one of British Aerospace' best known products, being produced under licence in the USA first by McDonnell/Douglas and now by Boeing. Can you imagine the guys who gave us vectored thrust and jump jets also producing Land Rovers and Range Rovers? It just doesn't seem to fit.
Okay I mentioned before how badly the cars were made but it's better to show you how bad they were. And what better way to do so than to bring out the Top Gear special in which the 40'th anniversary of the formation of British Leyland was celebrated and the presenters wanted to prove that BL could make a decent car.
http://videosift.com/video/Top-Gear-British-Leyland-cars-challenge?loadcomm=1
I'll close this thread with a quote from the British Leland special when Clarkson asks former employies of BL what they think when they see a Morris Marina drive by, do they feel a sense of pride or of achievement? The answer was that in most cases they are baffled that it still works.
http://www.cjw-consulting.co.uk/webshop/BL_sticker.JPG
But I guess the most legandary BL car must be the mini.
http://bringatrailer.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/1967_Austin_Mini_Cooper_S_Mk2_For_Sale_Front_1.jpg
Going unchanged for a VERY long time this ten foot feat of engineering became a cult figure on four wheels. And the fact that it WAS left unchanged, never updated or re-designed to fit demands of changing times also led to it's downfall. But honor to those who deserve it, the Mini remains the longest produced British Leyland car ever. Spanning from 1959 to 2000.
But most of all BL cars are known for their lack of quality control, cars that came apart at the brim, engines that didn't work properly, wooden interior on their most deluxe models that had people getting splinters in their hands if they touched it... But by far the best was that after the Americans issued safety regulations on how high the headlights should be from the ground, BL sub brand MG, rather than modify their designs, just placed blocks underneath the coil spings of the suspencion making the car standing up higher.
Then there was the sibling rivalry, Austin, Morris, Rover and the other brands were under the British Leyland umbrella but there were no Austins made in the Rover factory and there were no Rovers made with Triumph and as a result, they actually competed with each other.
And then there were the strikes, management was just as bad as the cars, BL was trainwreck ready to happen. Jeremy Clarkson made a Special on BL prior to Top Gear's 2002 relaunch which explains it better.
Part one, Part two and Part Three
I guess the most bizarre twist was when Rover, a British motoring legend was sold to British Aerospace.
http://www.gatwick-aviation-museum.co.uk/harrier/graphics/xv751-1.jpg
The Hawker Harrier, one of British Aerospace' best known products, being produced under licence in the USA first by McDonnell/Douglas and now by Boeing. Can you imagine the guys who gave us vectored thrust and jump jets also producing Land Rovers and Range Rovers? It just doesn't seem to fit.
Okay I mentioned before how badly the cars were made but it's better to show you how bad they were. And what better way to do so than to bring out the Top Gear special in which the 40'th anniversary of the formation of British Leyland was celebrated and the presenters wanted to prove that BL could make a decent car.
http://videosift.com/video/Top-Gear-British-Leyland-cars-challenge?loadcomm=1
I'll close this thread with a quote from the British Leland special when Clarkson asks former employies of BL what they think when they see a Morris Marina drive by, do they feel a sense of pride or of achievement? The answer was that in most cases they are baffled that it still works.
