Tell me about British Leyland
Discussion
anonymous said:
[redacted]
I spent 5 years living in Rednal and not working at the Austin. Instead I travelled daily to Shirley to the Lucas advanced research centre. The Rednal library used to have every book about the British Motor Industry and very little else.
Did you know that the spec for the Austin seven was that it had to get up Rose Hill forward whilst fully laden. And that the brakes shoukdnt fail on the way down?
yellowjack said:
This is a great thread.
Looking at the Austin Maxi specifically, I see that the last MAXI 2 ( LOV 476X ) came off the line in July 1981 and now resides at Gaydon. Yet I have a clear memory of a local woman driving a beige Maxi 1750 HL wearing an 'A' prefix plate which would suggest it was registered as late as '83/'84. Is this possible/likely. My memories are quite clear about the plate too, because she nearly ran me over in it, and as a result of the near miss she stopped to apologise.
...
My Maxi2; an automatic no less, was registered in June 1981 and wears a W plate.Looking at the Austin Maxi specifically, I see that the last MAXI 2 ( LOV 476X ) came off the line in July 1981 and now resides at Gaydon. Yet I have a clear memory of a local woman driving a beige Maxi 1750 HL wearing an 'A' prefix plate which would suggest it was registered as late as '83/'84. Is this possible/likely. My memories are quite clear about the plate too, because she nearly ran me over in it, and as a result of the near miss she stopped to apologise.
...
Do you remember the number on A plate car?
I’ve recounted this on here before, back in the 60’s/70’s my late father was sales manager, for a company specialising in plastic components, mainly injection moulding.
It was his job to drive up and down the country, wine and dine, and arrange for the purchase of gifts for the buyers (that’s what they called back then) of large corporations, in exchange for substantial orders.
One such order, which was a couple of years in the making, was all ‘plastic injection moulded components’ for BL products, on the face of it, a great order to secure.
However, the constant industrial action (I’m not apportioning blame) made it a nightmare for his employer, in terms of production scheduling and stocking of parts, literally running out of storage capacity.
His reward for securing this substantial order, he had the choice of a new company car, either a Marina TC or Dolomite 1850 HL, to replace a Cortina 2000GT, let’s just say he wasn’t happy.
Some years later I had a Dolomite Sprint, if only his employer had ponied up for one, I think his opinion would have been very different.
It was his job to drive up and down the country, wine and dine, and arrange for the purchase of gifts for the buyers (that’s what they called back then) of large corporations, in exchange for substantial orders.
One such order, which was a couple of years in the making, was all ‘plastic injection moulded components’ for BL products, on the face of it, a great order to secure.
However, the constant industrial action (I’m not apportioning blame) made it a nightmare for his employer, in terms of production scheduling and stocking of parts, literally running out of storage capacity.
His reward for securing this substantial order, he had the choice of a new company car, either a Marina TC or Dolomite 1850 HL, to replace a Cortina 2000GT, let’s just say he wasn’t happy.
Some years later I had a Dolomite Sprint, if only his employer had ponied up for one, I think his opinion would have been very different.
daqinggregg said:
His reward for securing this substantial order, he had the choice of a new company car, either a Marina TC or Dolomite 1850 HL, to replace a Cortina 2000GT, let’s just say he wasn’t happy.
Some years later I had a Dolomite Sprint, if only his employer had ponied up for one, I think his opinion would have been very different.
To be fair, an 1850HL was a decent car. When I started driving I used to get the use of any part-ex that came in with MoT and tax on it, to use from one weekend to the next and therefore be my school transport. We always seemed to be taking in Dolomites, never paying very much for them as even the newest by then was 5 years old. I always liked them: they were comfortable, drove well and had a great interior, even though it was mostly brown nylon. Also, who doesn't like overdrive?Some years later I had a Dolomite Sprint, if only his employer had ponied up for one, I think his opinion would have been very different.
Turbobanana said:
To be fair, an 1850HL was a decent car. When I started driving I used to get the use of any part-ex that came in with MoT and tax on it, to use from one weekend to the next and therefore be my school transport. We always seemed to be taking in Dolomites, never paying very much for them as even the newest by then was 5 years old. I always liked them: they were comfortable, drove well and had a great interior, even though it was mostly brown nylon. Also, who doesn't like overdrive?
I’m not suggesting the 1850HL wasn’t a decent car, (although I don’t recall it having overdrive) but in comparison to the MKIII Cortina 2000GT it was replacing, the design was stodgy.The design of the Sprint was equally stodgy, but it went like the bloody clappers (for the time), I think he would have forgiven it’s stodgyness, he was partial to a bit of progress.
LuS1fer said:
Probably a false economy as Sprints were fashionable and probably depreciated far less than an HL.
I'm not sure a 70's, Accrington, Lancashire, manufacturing company, had cottoned on to the pecuniary advantages of purchasing company vehicles based on depreciation, being more concerned with the cost of widgets.I think that came in the late 80’s, when minicab companies suddenly realised, they could buy Mercedes 190D’s run them for a couple of years, clock them and make a killing.
daqinggregg said:
I’m not suggesting the 1850HL wasn’t a decent car, (although I don’t recall it having overdrive) but in comparison to the MKIII Cortina 2000GT it was replacing, the design was stodgy.
The design of the Sprint was equally stodgy, but it went like the bloody clappers (for the time), I think he would have forgiven it’s stodgyness, he was partial to a bit of progress.
Dad's had o'drive on each of the five gearboxes replaced under warranty. It worked all the time , amazingly . bThe design of the Sprint was equally stodgy, but it went like the bloody clappers (for the time), I think he would have forgiven it’s stodgyness, he was partial to a bit of progress.
d car later tried to kill me by collapsing n/s front suspension at speed on A1 . Shame - it was a modern, clean design, nice-ish engine (when it wasn't running on ) and was a quantum leap forward from the Vitesses it replaced . A shame that by 1974 BL were incapable of building a cardboard box properly , let alone a bloody car
All Toledos & Dolomites apart from the Sprint used the 3 rail Herald/Vitesse box. Optional overdrive on the 1850 only.
The Sprint box is TR6 derived. All the (Sprints) ones I was involved with had whining axles. Interesting as its quite beefy and was used in 5 speed TR7s & SD1s. Other issue was brakes.
My late father worked for a BL main dealer at the time.
The Sprint box is TR6 derived. All the (Sprints) ones I was involved with had whining axles. Interesting as its quite beefy and was used in 5 speed TR7s & SD1s. Other issue was brakes.
My late father worked for a BL main dealer at the time.
coppice said:
Dad's had o'drive on each of the five gearboxes replaced under warranty. It worked all the time , amazingly . bd car later tried to kill me by collapsing n/s front suspension at speed on A1 .
Shame - it was a modern, clean design, nice-ish engine (when it wasn't running on ) and was a quantum leap forward from the Vitesses it replaced . A shame that by 1974 BL were incapable of building a cardboard box properly , let alone a bloody car
My old fella was a great Triumph man having graduated from their motorbikes . A 1500 (FVA143K) followed by two Sprints (NUS575M) and (JSG669T) alld car later tried to kill me by collapsing n/s front suspension at speed on A1 . Shame - it was a modern, clean design, nice-ish engine (when it wasn't running on ) and was a quantum leap forward from the Vitesses it replaced . A shame that by 1974 BL were incapable of building a cardboard box properly , let alone a bloody car
bought secondhand a year or so old . Mechanically there wasn't a spot of trouble and as a lad I laboured to him in our old Council Lockup as he did his own maintenance . the first Sprint was one of the first models which all came in mimosa yellow . The only issues were the lacquer peeling from the alloy wheels which he had stripped leading to a life long affiliation with Solvol Autosol and the inevitable corrosion on the top of the front wings .
The second Sprint was in Inca Yellow and though the wheel lacquer was improved still suffered from the front wing issue .
This second car I would borrow at night after he had locked it in the garage and this cunning plan went well for many months till one evening I misjudged a corner and thumped a fence . Panicked I locked her back in the garage and awaited the inevitable . Five or six weeks went past with no mention of the damage and I was becoming increasingly paranoid about this silence . One Saturday a pleasant Summers afternoon was shattered by the old fella roaring at my mother " some b
ds ran into the car in the Coop car park ". I well remember the mother with a couple of neighbours gathering on the pavement outside consoling the old fella . I never told him of my guilt and it stopped my joy riding without a license forever .pubrunner said:
We owned a pub for over 25 years and for the first 6 or 7 years, we owned a Maxi 1750 HL - it was a great car for us.
Hard to believe, but Maxi is actually smaller than a Ford Focus, but had loads of room inside. With the back seats down, it had a large and flat loading bay - it was ideal for carrying barrels around and lugging stuff from wholesalers/cash & carry etc.
Conceptually, I think it was a great design; we actually got over 50,000 miles from it, which was very good for a car of that era.
In the early 80s to supplement my income from IT engineering a mate & I bought and sold cars. Normally family owned and MOT frequently on sills. Hard to believe, but Maxi is actually smaller than a Ford Focus, but had loads of room inside. With the back seats down, it had a large and flat loading bay - it was ideal for carrying barrels around and lugging stuff from wholesalers/cash & carry etc.
Conceptually, I think it was a great design; we actually got over 50,000 miles from it, which was very good for a car of that era.
We had a local welder who'd do sills for 25 quid a side.
Maxis & Marinas were our staple. We soon got a reputation for selling. We'd bring a Maxi back on the trailer & frequently had a knock on the door asking if it'd be for sale. And they'd thrust a bit of paper in our hand with a number on it asking for first refusal when we sold it. I don't think we ever advertised a Maxi.
Maxi was massive inside, quiet, reliable & very economical. Also hatchback. People didn't buy foreign then as A. too expensive, B. Expensive parts & second hand no better than the Brit stuff. We looked at an early Golf at one point, it was as rotten as a pear. Same with an early BMW 2002. Evn an early Honda would be rusty. The only ones that didn't rust (as much) then were Volvos.
daqinggregg said:
Turbobanana said:
To be fair, an 1850HL was a decent car. When I started driving I used to get the use of any part-ex that came in with MoT and tax on it, to use from one weekend to the next and therefore be my school transport. We always seemed to be taking in Dolomites, never paying very much for them as even the newest by then was 5 years old. I always liked them: they were comfortable, drove well and had a great interior, even though it was mostly brown nylon. Also, who doesn't like overdrive?
I’m not suggesting the 1850HL wasn’t a decent car, (although I don’t recall it having overdrive) but in comparison to the MKIII Cortina 2000GT it was replacing, the design was stodgy.The design of the Sprint was equally stodgy, but it went like the bloody clappers (for the time), I think he would have forgiven it’s stodgyness, he was partial to a bit of progress.
It was back in the 70s and a friend of a friend had dumped it in the Short-stay car park at Gatwick when his minicab didn't turn up so we rescued it. All I remember was the pedals being very offset to the left and the wheezy engine - I had an equally stodgy looking Fiat 125 at the time but it had a rev-happy twin-cam engine and was so much more responsive.
Pit Pony said:
I spent 5 years living in Rednal and not working at the Austin. Instead I travelled daily to Shirley to the Lucas advanced research centre.
The Rednal library used to have every book about the British Motor Industry and very little else.
Did you know that the spec for the Austin seven was that it had to get up Rose Hill forward whilst fully laden. And that the brakes shoukdnt fail on the way down?
I now work at Leyland The Rednal library used to have every book about the British Motor Industry and very little else.
Did you know that the spec for the Austin seven was that it had to get up Rose Hill forward whilst fully laden. And that the brakes shoukdnt fail on the way down?
Trucks. There's a bloke I work with retiring today who started in 1977, when trucks and buses were all part of BLMC. Now just a small part of Daf, itself a small part of PACCAR which also own Kenworth and Peterbilt, the management style is very clearly a hybrid of 1970s British Leyland, jobs for life, 1960s USA automotive, hire and fire at will, and 2020's Dutch Employee empowerment.
I think the diversity awards we participate in, confuses some of those that have been here all thier careers.
I had various BL cars, Marina, Allegro, Montego, Viva. They were all ok but always seemed to have issues. Plus no young driver even wanted one, they all wanted Ford or Vauxhall.
I worked with an ex BL employee and he told me they went on strike in the 70s because there were no tea bags in the canteen and management refused to buy any. I did not doubt him.
I worked with an ex BL employee and he told me they went on strike in the 70s because there were no tea bags in the canteen and management refused to buy any. I did not doubt him.
nismocat said:
I had various BL cars, Marina, Allegro, Montego, Viva. They were all ok but always seemed to have issues. Plus no young driver even wanted one, they all wanted Ford or Vauxhall.
I worked with an ex BL employee and he told me they went on strike in the 70s because there were no tea bags in the canteen and management refused to buy any. I did not doubt him.
BL Viva? I worked with an ex BL employee and he told me they went on strike in the 70s because there were no tea bags in the canteen and management refused to buy any. I did not doubt him.
Montegos were excellent for their day, and the MG versions we had were quick.
blueg33 said:
nismocat said:
I had various BL cars, Marina, Allegro, Montego, Viva. They were all ok but always seemed to have issues. Plus no young driver even wanted one, they all wanted Ford or Vauxhall.
I worked with an ex BL employee and he told me they went on strike in the 70s because there were no tea bags in the canteen and management refused to buy any. I did not doubt him.
BL Viva? I worked with an ex BL employee and he told me they went on strike in the 70s because there were no tea bags in the canteen and management refused to buy any. I did not doubt him.
Montegos were excellent for their day, and the MG versions we had were quick.
The last one I bought, a Montego VP EFi, very well equipped and fairly quick. I had 3 in total all reliable, apart from a penchant for front wheel bearings.
There were many tales recounted about why the unions, went on strike (some may be true), but from what I recall, it went much deeper than a box tea bags.
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