BREAKING NEWS - MG Rover reaches end of the road

[Osella]

what gets me here is that one of the few things the government could do for the company is actually buy their cars.
Cars run by local councils on their fleets do not need to be the latest and the best, so actually any of MGR's range would suffice. from an environmental and ethical point of view, it makes sense to buy products manufactured locally with tax revenue garnered locally, employing workers subject to the same law and tax system as those paying for them. In london one sees lots of Renault Meganes run by local authorities, and while this vehicle may be lightyears ahead of MGRs 25/45 lineup, the simple fact is that people do not go to work for their local council based on the dynamic competence of their company car.

Where I live, in N London, we have insufficient Police on the streets yet they seem to drive an inexhaustible supply of new German cars. Private individuals can buy those if they wish, as can the German police force, and those without their own motor industry. As well as locally-produced GM and Ford fare, the cops should drive MGR and Jaguar. They'd be cheaper too, as well as satisfying the environmental and ethical points outlined above.

And consider this:
If you read the car magazines, you will see a universal panning of large French cars (unjustly I feel) and an assumption that they only get sold to the French Civil Service. How many new models in the I-can't-believe-they-try-to-sell-this-against-the-German-competition-sector have Citroen, Peugoet and Renault produced in the time since BMW took over MGR or since Phoenix had it? In that time, all MGR has managed is the re-engineering of the 75 for RWD and a V8, and reengineered the DeTomaso/Qvale, probably on a shoestring.

Meanwhile, Renault has bought Nissan!!!


The Chinese, Japanese and Indians buy US Govt bonds to prop up the US budget deficit because it's the easiest way to help their own economies; isn't the welfare of 6,000 MGR employees and 15,000 in suppliers a good enough reason for the Govt and local authorities to buy their vehicles?

The not-so-secret Tory/Bliar plan to deprive this country of it's manufacturing base is certainly working!!!

[Dave Brand]

Originally Posted by Osella

it makes sense to buy products manufactured locally with tax revenue garnered locally, employing workers subject to the same law and tax system as those paying for them.

So why should my local authority buy MG Rover cars when the local product is Toyota?

As well as locally-produced GM and Ford fare, the cops should drive MGR and Jaguar. They'd be cheaper too, as well as satisfying the environmental and ethical points outlined above.

Cheaper? Fleet prices bear no relationship to retail; a small loss-making company can't afford big discounts. Purchase price is, in any case, only one factor in the overall cost of running a vehicle.

The not-so-secret Tory/Bliar plan to deprive this country of it's manufacturing base is certainly working!!!

In the case of the motor industry, weak management & strong unions in the 1970s, together with lousy product quality, did more damage than any politician.

A few numbers, courtesy of today's Sunday Times:

Last year 1.65 million cars were made in the UK; MG-Rover only built 110,000. Compare that with 1980's total of under 900,000. Last year the UK exported 1.2 million cars, six times the level of 20 years ago.

Is MG Rover an important player in the British motor industry? I don't think so!

[ensign14]

Originally Posted by Osella

what gets me here is that one of the few things the government could do for the company is actually buy their cars.
Cars run by local councils on their fleets do not need to be the latest and the best, so actually any of MGR's range would suffice. from an environmental and ethical point of view, it makes sense to buy products manufactured locally with tax revenue garnered locally, employing workers subject to the same law and tax system as those paying for them. In london one sees lots of Renault Meganes run by local authorities, and while this vehicle may be lightyears ahead of MGRs 25/45 lineup, the simple fact is that people do not go to work for their local council based on the dynamic competence of their company car.

I disagree with this - if MG Rover sold a vast number of cars on "sympathy buying" there is no incentive to improve the product. The way to get them to improve is to buy better cars. The irony being that the MGs at any rate are pretty decent.

[Osella]

you're both probably right- I just think it's a pity. On the subject of buying local Toyotas- whyever not? But Toyota won't go to the wall for want of the sales. I'm not proposing sympathy buying. I just think it makes sense to spend money raised locally, well, locally. But if it's more important to prove Darwin right than look after the rump of the uk motor industry, so be it. I'm certainly no expert. Our taxes will pay their unemployment benefit if it comes to that. I'd sooner pay them to build cars.
If it had been down to me, I'd have stayed in bed with Honda, or kept a deal to buy BMW engines, or done a deal with FIAT...anything.

[pitcrew]

need i say more unfortunatly look here:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...30773071bi.gif

[garcon]

You shouldn't laugh, but...

[pitcrew]

whats going to happen to the mg motorsport area?

[touringlegend]

Assume you mean MG Sport & Racing that were based at Longbridge ?

Into administration as well I'm afraid

[ensign14]

Originally Posted by ensign14

But I question the timing of the accountancy leaks (which were not in Rover's or even SAIC's best interests) followed by Hewitt rushing to the Press to announce administration. Far too soon for that sort of thing. Talks had been going on for ages so why did it suddenly become a rush?

Story in the Birmingham Post today that the Government deliberately leaked papers to undermine things to prevent the matter coming to a head just before the election. Quelle surprise.