Confessions from quality control - The Frontera factory
Discussion
Ray Luxury-Yacht said:
You are spoiling us 
Can't wait.
CF, have you read "Back from the Brink" by Sir Michael Edwardes?" It's a great book about how he was parachuted into BL in 1977 to try to basically save the whole shooting match.
I'm a moderate lefty, and come from a socialist household - however even I was appalled at the level of obstructive militancy and trade union defiance, rampant in the industry at the time. I really felt for Edwardes, he was really tying hard to sort it all out, but was blocked and barracked at every turn by a breathtaking level of arrogance and ignorance.
It's no surprise that it all collapsed, and frankly the way the unions handled it, meant that they bloody well deserved to become architects of their own demise.
Anyway, it's a good read if you haven't seen it before!
I have a copy here which I've had a good 20 years , it's a great read ! ! Returning to see Maggie T every few weeks/months, cap in hand for another million pound plus bailout must've been horrendous.Can't wait.
CF, have you read "Back from the Brink" by Sir Michael Edwardes?" It's a great book about how he was parachuted into BL in 1977 to try to basically save the whole shooting match.
I'm a moderate lefty, and come from a socialist household - however even I was appalled at the level of obstructive militancy and trade union defiance, rampant in the industry at the time. I really felt for Edwardes, he was really tying hard to sort it all out, but was blocked and barracked at every turn by a breathtaking level of arrogance and ignorance.
It's no surprise that it all collapsed, and frankly the way the unions handled it, meant that they bloody well deserved to become architects of their own demise.
Anyway, it's a good read if you haven't seen it before!
Suggest you also try Car Guys vs. Bean Counters : The Battle for the Soul of American Business by Bob Lutz, it's an excellent read.
And just in case the OP is getting cheesed off with all these other titles being mentioned in his thread, I'm expecting a copy of his first book to arrive through my letterbox in the next 5 days courtesy of Amazon
I knew a chap who'd worked in the toolroom at Pressed Steel Fisher for many years. Honda built the Ballade and BL asked PSF to make the tooling for the Acclaim (or it may have been the Honda Acclaim/Rover 213/6 ?)
Honda used one large press tool to stamp the complete side of the car. When the designers and toolroom staff at PSF were asked to produce the press tools, they said it couldn't be done in one piece, t would need to be in 5 or 6. Cue the Honda press tool designers and production guys being wheeled in to PSF to tell them how it was done .... rest assured, it wasn't a popular decision, I mean how many welders and press tool fitters would that have made unemployed ?
Edited by Slippydiff on Thursday 1st June 22:20
The Crack Fox said:
Thanks! Next book might be a little while but I'm on it. It's great to know that people enjoy my inane blatherings.
Have a great weekend.
Thanks, you too. Have a great weekend.
I'm off to Italy in the morning and might not come back if things don't pan out tomorrow
. Italy, at least, functions more or less, despite its government.I think I'll take a leaf out of your book and hoon around a pass or two, only in my own motor.
Peter
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