Friday 12th July 2002

Rover's Return

MG Rover cut their losses

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[rev-erend]

but how long before they go bust..

[andymadmak]

quote:but how long before they go bust..

Maybe never. They got a BIG cash dowry from BMW after the divorce. If they break even or get close to it next year they will probably still have between 3 and 5 hundred million in the bank. And with all the new stuff coming out over the next couple of years: ZT 260bhp, ZT 385bhp, New ZS/45 replacement (word in the midlands is that its brilliant BTW) new V6 roadster, new small car, expanding into Poland to build the little stuff cost effectively, new markets in China (don't knock it, it's got MASSIVE potential) I reckon they're on the up.
On top of all that, given their quite stunning showing at Le Mans this year, this is one Brit who will be supporting them at next years event rather than some cynical VW marketing exercise where they put some new fablon stickers on an old Audi and call it a Bentley.

Andy 400se

[cerbman]

MGR are doing well and with the support (haha, Britain doesn't support British companies)of the British people will survive.

[B10]

Apart from the Revs comments - typical of the slant journos give to any British manufacturing company. They deserve to do well. The main best strategy is aquire businesses - which is what they have been doing. As we all know all big things were small things.

[griff2be]

quote:
given their quite stunning showing at Le Mans this year, this is one Brit who will be supporting them at next years event rather than some cynical VW marketing exercise where they put some new fablon stickers on an old Audi and call it a Bentley.

I may be compeletely wrong here, but isn't the MG Le Mans car an old Lola with, umm, new MG fablon stickers...?

Or was the point that even if it is a rebadged Lola, it is at least British rebadged as British. And therefore not a cynical exploitation of a classic British marque by them people what bombed our chip shop....

[andymadmak]

quote:

I may be compeletely wrong here, but isn't the MG Le Mans car an old Lola with, umm, new MG fablon stickers...?

Or was the point that even if it is a rebadged Lola, it is at least British rebadged as British. And therefore not a cynical exploitation of a classic British marque by them people what bombed our chip shop....

Bombed our Chippy! It needs bombing! haha
The engine in the MG Lola is British too and was commisioned by MG for MG. At least MG didn't pretend the Lola chassis design belonged to them. It was clearly named as an MG Lola in the programme.
The Bentley is an Audi, with an Audi engine. All this guff about the "New Bentley Boys" quite turns my stomach. Besides the MG was 3rd at one point by merit. It was on pace with the bigger cars despite being only a 2.0litre LMP675 class car.
It truly does deserve our support.
Andy 400se

[JPHERSEY]

Hmm...not sure about the ' we won the war ' style observations. It's all a bit lame. There are v few car companies still under indigenous control...let's be grateful there's still some car production in this country. Who cares who owns it. Do you care that the Belgians own Carling Black Label ?

[Fatboy]

quote: Do you care that the Belgians own Carling Black Label ?

More to the point would you voluntarily drink Carling Black Label?
Wouldn't be those same Belgians that produce the rather fine Stella Artois would it? (if so WTF did they want with that Donkey-piss Carling)

[king arthur]

quote:

quote: Do you care that the Belgians own Carling Black Label ?

More to the point would you voluntarily drink Carling Black Label?
Wouldn't be those same Belgians that produce the rather fine Stella Artois would it? (if so WTF did they want with that Donkey-piss Carling)

It was Interbrew that bought Bass Breweries, and yes, I think they are the people that brew Stella.

[king arthur]

quote:
Hmm...not sure about the ' we won the war ' style observations. It's all a bit lame. There are v few car companies still under indigenous control...let's be grateful there's still some car production in this country. Who cares who owns it. Do you care that the Belgians own Carling Black Label ?

Now back on topic. Yes it does matter who owns what. Look at what happens when foreign companies own our car factories. They close them down when the going gets a bit tough. Ford Europe and GM Europe now design and engineer most of their cars in Germany. When BMW [spit] owned Rover, what did they do with it? Steal all the technology (e.g. For the X5 and X3 from Landrover), knobble markets in favour of their own models (MGF vs Z3) and finally try to close the whole lot down, leaving themselves with increased market share. It's not just cars, it happens with everything. But one thing you can be fairly sure of is, as long as MG Rover survives as an independent business, Longbridge will survive as a car plant. That's one good reason why they deserve all our support (and that of the press which they don't always get).

[dandarez]

One thing is for sure, if Alchemy had got Rover there would be NO Rover MG now!
The right guys got the company, but if you go back to that time all the motoring hacks wanted Alchemy.... wouldn't trust one hack - they are just in it for there freebies and lunches and cars.