Rover 75? The last British car?
Rover 75? The last British car?
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ingenieur

Original Poster:

4,653 posts

211 months

Friday 29th December 2023
quotequote all
Just checking more than anything... not a fan of the Rover 75 at all...

Is it in fact the last mass produced British car?

Based on the notion that MG Rover were the last wholly British car company and the last car they made was the Rover 75.

If it wasn't the Rover 75 then what was the last mass produced British car?

Equus

16,980 posts

131 months

Friday 29th December 2023
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Define 'British' in a global economy of multi-national companies?

'Rover' was owned by BMW when the 75 was developed.

We've still got JLR, but they are similarly foreign-owned (so are they any more or less British than, for example, Nissan Sunderland?)

If you want to find a mass-produced British car, manufactured wholly in Britain by a wholly British-owned company, you'd have to go back further, I think.

mk1coopers

1,453 posts

182 months

Friday 29th December 2023
quotequote all
As far as I can recall the 75 was based on a FWD platform that was to become the then new BWM 3 series, before BMW decided to stick with RWD, even the wheel nuts on the 75 were BMW branded.

WPA

14,694 posts

144 months

Friday 29th December 2023
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I think your going to have to go back as far as the Mini and Metro, not long after Honda were onboard

soad

34,663 posts

206 months

Friday 29th December 2023
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Caterham (bought by Japanese), Westfield, Morgan (majority European owners) spring to mind?

cptsideways

13,884 posts

282 months

Friday 29th December 2023
quotequote all
75 was a fwd BMW/Freelander/e39/platform share/bodge, the 25 was a Honda platform.

The last British designed and built car was probably the Maxi lol

Equus

16,980 posts

131 months

Friday 29th December 2023
quotequote all
soad said:
Caterham (bought by Japanese), Westfield, Morgan (majority European owners) spring to mind?
OP's post specifies 'mass produced'.

The MGF was developed under British Aerospace ownership of MG Rover, but only brought to market under BMW ownership, so that may or may not qualify, depending on your perspective.

Long run of Honda collaborations before that, so maybe the Metro Maestro/Montego?



Edit: no, the Montego was later than the Metro, wasn't it?

Edited by Equus on Friday 29th December 12:19

WPA

14,694 posts

144 months

Friday 29th December 2023
quotequote all
I think it was 1979 that BL signed the deal with Honda to share the development and production of a new mid-sized car (Triumph Acclaim/Honda Ballade).

So anything before that, Mini or as another poster said maybe the Maxi

Equus

16,980 posts

131 months

Friday 29th December 2023
quotequote all
WPA said:
I think it was 1979 that BL signed the deal with Honda to share the development and production of a new mid-sized car (Triumph Acclaim/Honda Ballade).

So anything before that, Mini or as another poster said maybe the Maxi
As above: the Metro and Maestro/Montego lie outside of that deal, so don't rely on Honda design/technology (and the companies were still independent, with Austin Rover merely collaborating with Honda), and can probably claim to be as wholly British as anything.

Watcher of the skies

1,320 posts

67 months

Friday 29th December 2023
quotequote all
cptsideways said:
75 was a fwd BMW/Freelander/e39/platform share/bodge, the 25 was a Honda platform.

The last British designed and built car was probably the Maxi lol
The 25 was a hybrid Honda/Maestro platform.

Equus

16,980 posts

131 months

Friday 29th December 2023
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What about the Jaguar XJ40?

Robertb

3,858 posts

268 months

Friday 29th December 2023
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Rover 800 was produced under BAE ownership in the late 80s, which post dates the Maxi and Metro.

Rover 75 was built under the Phoenix consortium ownership in the early 00s.

An interesting sub question would be what British owned manufacturer makes the most cars in Britain.

My money is on Caterham. I can’t actually think of another one except the Wells Vertige! Even Morgan is owned by the Italians. I suppose Aston is UK listed at least but mainly owned by overseas shareholders.

Equus

16,980 posts

131 months

Friday 29th December 2023
quotequote all
Robertb said:
Rover 800 was produced under BAE ownership in the late 80s, which post dates the Maxi and Metro.
... but was part of the Honda collaboration, so a lot of the design and componentry wasn't wholly Rover.

Basically a Honda Legend with a Rover badge on it.

WPA

14,694 posts

144 months

Friday 29th December 2023
quotequote all
Equus said:
WPA said:
I think it was 1979 that BL signed the deal with Honda to share the development and production of a new mid-sized car (Triumph Acclaim/Honda Ballade).

So anything before that, Mini or as another poster said maybe the Maxi
As above: the Metro and Maestro/Montego lie outside of that deal, so don't rely on Honda design/technology (and the companies were still independent, with Austin Rover merely collaborating with Honda), and can probably claim to be as wholly British as anything.
Good shout, I forgot that the Maestro / Montego were BL design

Truckosaurus

13,265 posts

314 months

Friday 29th December 2023
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How about the Land Rover 90/110 of the early 80s? Definitely not platform shared with any Honda biggrin and pre-dates the privatisation of BL.

(mk1 Discovery might also be a contender?)

MDMA .

10,682 posts

131 months

Friday 29th December 2023
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What about any Bentley/Rolls Royce. Owned by Vickers until ‘97.

WPA

14,694 posts

144 months

Friday 29th December 2023
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MDMA . said:
What about any Bentley/Rolls Royce. Owned by Vickers until ‘97.
Not exactly mass produced

Equus

16,980 posts

131 months

Friday 29th December 2023
quotequote all
MDMA . said:
What about any Bentley/Rolls Royce. Owned by Vickers until ‘97.
If RR/Bentley counts as 'mass produced', then there's LTI (manufacturers of London black cabs), who were UK owned until 2012.

Monkeylegend

29,286 posts

261 months

Friday 29th December 2023
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This thread is already the third hit on google smile

The first hit says MG Rover group and the Rover 75.

996Type

1,181 posts

182 months

Friday 29th December 2023
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The London Taxi Company was the last?