Great pics of Longbridge as it is today
Discussion
DegsyE39 said:
Nanook said:
I had a Rover 400. My second car.
It was s
t. The most unreliable POS I've had the displeasure of owning. I owned it a year and replaced a head gasket, a water pump, a timing belt, all the shocks, all the brakes (incl 2 calipers) top mounts, an alternator, a clutch, a gearbox, a power steering pump, a wheel bearing, a starter motor, an exhaust and one electric window motor.
On what was at the time, a 7 year old car, bought with 70k on the clock.
So for me, it's not irrational hatred, it's entirely justified.
Granted it seems like your hate is justified.It was s
t. The most unreliable POS I've had the displeasure of owning. I owned it a year and replaced a head gasket, a water pump, a timing belt, all the shocks, all the brakes (incl 2 calipers) top mounts, an alternator, a clutch, a gearbox, a power steering pump, a wheel bearing, a starter motor, an exhaust and one electric window motor. On what was at the time, a 7 year old car, bought with 70k on the clock.
So for me, it's not irrational hatred, it's entirely justified.
My dad has an irrational hatred for audi after he spent 32k on a car for my old lade and the 4 ringed turd thanked him by s
tting itself under warranty so badly it needed 15 grands worth of repairs.It eats coilpacks as consumables, drinks oil its a terrible car and it has been since 2003.
I do beleive in taking as i find
Jimmy Recard said:
There aren't now. There's bugger all left there. A few MG SAIC buildings, some car parks and a shopping centre. The rest is just flattened ground
ETA: Romantically, I want to believe that's still there. I just don't know howit can be. Why would it be? And if you go past the site, where would this be? You can see most of it from the road.
And why would it be so well preserved? If St Modwen or SAIC weren't interested in what's there, surely it would be sold or scrapped? If neither were possible, why maintain it by keeping the lights running?
Not quite, there is ~70 acres of the MG "site". Yes the Rover bit is all flattened (and/or built on already) but the MG bit I could believe still has stuff there. Just take a look at google maps, the old airfield site is the MG bit and both fETA: Romantically, I want to believe that's still there. I just don't know howit can be. Why would it be? And if you go past the site, where would this be? You can see most of it from the road.
And why would it be so well preserved? If St Modwen or SAIC weren't interested in what's there, surely it would be sold or scrapped? If neither were possible, why maintain it by keeping the lights running?
king huge and all there still.https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.3896832,-1.98993...
SonicShadow said:
http://forums.xpowerforums.com/showthread.php?t=36051
DELETED: Comment made by a member who's account has been deleted.
You know what i meant no need to be facetious, Anyway obviously the way you feel about rover is the way i feel about BMW and Audi (modern stuff ive got a 100) nothing cheapened both brands like the torrid little turds that are the A1 And the 2 series active tourer 
DegsyE39 said:
Nanook said:
Seems perfectly rational to me!
You know what i meant no need to be facetious, Anyway obviously the way you feel about rover is the way i feel about BMW and Audi (modern stuff ive got a 100) nothing cheapened both brands like the torrid little turds that are the A1 And the 2 series active tourer DoubleD said:
You might not like the cars but they are extremely profitable companies. Car companies don't exist to keep us car geeks happy, they exist to make money.
Granted. I wouldnt drive one but im happy for everyone else to buy them on the never never and keep used car prices down.
ChocolateFrog said:
Rightly or wrongly (likely the latter) I used to get the impression that Longbridge was full of guys that were basically impossible to sack due to the unions but did very little.
It would have been interesting to compare Nissan's Sunderland plant to Longbridge if nothing else than to put aside my prejudice.
lots of ex longbridge work at JLR solihull, they also wear the old grey jackets they were given with big rover badge there which is odd to see now. Some of the stories they tell about the atmosphere of the place and how it was run are incredible, Bringing a sleeping bag every nightshift so you could "disappear" for half the shift was a regular thing apparently. It would have been interesting to compare Nissan's Sunderland plant to Longbridge if nothing else than to put aside my prejudice.
f1nn said:
I don't think anyone is saying that there were not talented people at Longbridge, just that they ended up working for a unviable business screwing ever more elaborate plastic trims and coloured leather to outdated designs with no signs of adequate investment to properly develop new models.
I have to say having 4 vultures at the helm asset stripping to fk didnt help their plight either.Edited by DegsyE39 on Thursday 29th September 18:47
buggalugs said:
Evolved said:
Jimmy Recard said:
Evolved said:
Ghostly, can't believe there are still full shells on the line!
There aren't now. There's bugger all left there. A few MG SAIC buildings, some car parks and a shopping centre. The rest is just flattened groundETA: Romantically, I want to believe that's still there. I just don't know howit can be. Why would it be? And if you go past the site, where would this be? You can see most of it from the road.
And why would it be so well preserved? If St Modwen or SAIC weren't interested in what's there, surely it would be sold or scrapped? If neither were possible, why maintain it by keeping the lights running?
Edited by Jimmy Recard on Wednesday 28th September 22:55
I actually thought those were current day pictures, didn't read the thread they were on tbf and just flicked through the images. Well that's ruined my day!
Fastdruid said:
Jimmy Recard said:
There aren't now. There's bugger all left there. A few MG SAIC buildings, some car parks and a shopping centre. The rest is just flattened ground
ETA: Romantically, I want to believe that's still there. I just don't know howit can be. Why would it be? And if you go past the site, where would this be? You can see most of it from the road.
And why would it be so well preserved? If St Modwen or SAIC weren't interested in what's there, surely it would be sold or scrapped? If neither were possible, why maintain it by keeping the lights running?
Not quite, there is ~70 acres of the MG "site". Yes the Rover bit is all flattened (and/or built on already) but the MG bit I could believe still has stuff there. Just take a look at google maps, the old airfield site is the MG bit and both fETA: Romantically, I want to believe that's still there. I just don't know howit can be. Why would it be? And if you go past the site, where would this be? You can see most of it from the road.
And why would it be so well preserved? If St Modwen or SAIC weren't interested in what's there, surely it would be sold or scrapped? If neither were possible, why maintain it by keeping the lights running?
king huge and all there still.https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.3896832,-1.98993...
sheepman said:
ChocolateFrog said:
Rightly or wrongly (likely the latter) I used to get the impression that Longbridge was full of guys that were basically impossible to sack due to the unions but did very little.
It would have been interesting to compare Nissan's Sunderland plant to Longbridge if nothing else than to put aside my prejudice.
lots of ex longbridge work at JLR solihull, they also wear the old grey jackets they were given with big rover badge there which is odd to see now. Some of the stories they tell about the atmosphere of the place and how it was run are incredible, Bringing a sleeping bag every nightshift so you could "disappear" for half the shift was a regular thing apparently. It would have been interesting to compare Nissan's Sunderland plant to Longbridge if nothing else than to put aside my prejudice.
DegsyE39 said:
MarshPhantom said:
So why have they kept it for 13 years?
Ummed and ahhed about getting rid of it paying 400 quid a year to run in it for those past 13 years. They agree it's total s
te. I wouldnt buy a modern VAG Product.
Edited by DegsyE39 on Thursday 29th September 18:09
DegsyE39 said:
I have to say having 4 vultures at the helm asset stripping to fk didnt help their plight either.
Of course, but it was no accident that the company found it self in that position.k didnt help their plight either.Edited by DegsyE39 on Thursday 29th September 18:47
It's easy to blame the "vultures" but the start of the end was the end of the Honda partnership IMO.
Pothole said:
buggalugs said:
Evolved said:
Jimmy Recard said:
Evolved said:
Ghostly, can't believe there are still full shells on the line!
There aren't now. There's bugger all left there. A few MG SAIC buildings, some car parks and a shopping centre. The rest is just flattened groundETA: Romantically, I want to believe that's still there. I just don't know howit can be. Why would it be? And if you go past the site, where would this be? You can see most of it from the road.
And why would it be so well preserved? If St Modwen or SAIC weren't interested in what's there, surely it would be sold or scrapped? If neither were possible, why maintain it by keeping the lights running?
Edited by Jimmy Recard on Wednesday 28th September 22:55
I actually thought those were current day pictures, didn't read the thread they were on tbf and just flicked through the images. Well that's ruined my day!
There's also this report by someone else from June 2016 - http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/longbridge-rover-fact...
So many issues caused the demise of MGR. They were too reliant on Honda during the 80s and 90s and I think BMW kicked them in the balls when they concentrated on replacing the 600 with the 75 when they should have really concentrated on the smaller models. They had a plan though to take the Mini and create a brand and the 4x4 tech for their X range and im not sure they were ever interested in really saving the brand. As for the pheonix guys well they are just the equivalent of the guy who recently bought BHS and run it into the ground. What were they thinking of with the cost of engineering the 75 to fit the Mustang engine, The Qvale Mangusta, the City Rover and a drive to return to racing all while sales of the cars making any money were going into freefall.
f1nn said:
DegsyE39 said:
I have to say having 4 vultures at the helm asset stripping to fk didnt help their plight either.
Of course, but it was no accident that the company found it self in that position.k didnt help their plight either.Edited by DegsyE39 on Thursday 29th September 18:47
It's easy to blame the "vultures" but the start of the end was the end of the Honda partnership IMO.
s would be more apt.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff