RE: PH Footnote: The new British car industry
Wednesday 25th October 2017
If, for just a moment, you can shift your gaze from the assumed negativities of stuff like electrification, connectivity, autonomy, the spread of congestion zones and, of course, Brexit - which aren't all negative, by the way - there's a collection of fantastic automotive prospects looming on the British motoring horizon over the next few years. They deserve much, much more of our attention than the perceived bad stuff.
Two more deserve the same close attention: the vacuum cleaner knight, Sir James Dyson, has dreamed for 20 years of producing a "radically different" electric car, and is on course to spend a cool £2.5 billion making it happen by 2020. No final design yet, he says. The emphasis is on choosing and proving the core (read battery) technology. Finally, in the past few days that proven automotive genius, Gordon Murray of F1 and supercar fame, announced a decision (at the age of 71) to start building his own cars, very efficiently but in low volume. The first, probably, is a baby supercar built on McLaren F1 principles and replicating the small size and space efficiency of the Smart Roadster Murray has driven to work almost every day for 14 years.
Yet they're united by what this writer-immigrant sees as arch-British qualities (and here's where you're supposed to start feeling good about yourself) such as certainty, enthusiasm-with-pragmatism and a calculated willingness to risk both money and reputation. And of course, the big one: leadership. These are the qualities that have always made small groups of UK engineers so consistently good at F1 and other forms of top-level racing. To the hell with the fact that we couldn't make the Austin Metro profitably in the gargantuan factories that continue to be meat and drink to Germans, Koreans Japanese and more.
PH Footnote: The new British car industry
Prophesying the dawn of a new automotive age ought to be easy; one needs only to look at entrepreneurs lining up to take part
Let's take four prospects that have arrived in as many months. First is an amazing all-Brit partnership revealed without warning at September's LCV Show: the 1,216hp, all-electric four-wheel drive Hipercar project, led by Ariel's Simon Saunders (already distinguished in the high performance patch). Next was Jim Ratcliffe, the oil and gas billionaire, determined to recreate the traditional Land Rover Defender - or something very much like it - he announced concrete plans to pull it off in the shape of Projekt Grenadier.
Beyond the fact that they'll all have four wheels and be called cars, you could hardly list four more diverse projects: an all-electric hypercar, a traditional Landie, a "different" electric car and a latter-day Spridget.
Leadership is one of those words seriously undervalued because it's sheer numptiness. Yet it moves mountains. I'm put in mind of a childish but remarkably relevant rhyme about leadership I read in a book by David Ogilvy, the late advertising guru: "Look throughout our towns and cities; you'll see no statues of committees..."
Inspiration, followed closely by the ability to inspire others, is what unites the four men I've cited. With their help (and the help of more like them) we are moving, miraculously, into an era where gifted teams headed by influential leaders will change the world more rapidly than ever.
Steve Cropley
Discussion
Leadership? What, like Trump?
Please. Lets be serious for a moment. Any endeavor like this is incredibly complex, and will need delegation to many levels.
As for the British factories bit, I admit to being somewhat underwhelmed. What major car manufacturer is actually in the hands of British "leadership" at present? Because all I see really are a bunch of manufacturers domestically situated, but owned by foreign interests. Hardly British at all. Even that paragon of British-ness, JLR, are now Indian.
No. When these companies actually offer something to the public that can be bought in commercial quantities, that's when I'll believe it.
Please. Lets be serious for a moment. Any endeavor like this is incredibly complex, and will need delegation to many levels.
As for the British factories bit, I admit to being somewhat underwhelmed. What major car manufacturer is actually in the hands of British "leadership" at present? Because all I see really are a bunch of manufacturers domestically situated, but owned by foreign interests. Hardly British at all. Even that paragon of British-ness, JLR, are now Indian.
No. When these companies actually offer something to the public that can be bought in commercial quantities, that's when I'll believe it.
Dyson builds his products overseas to compete, but has thousands of creative/designer staff in the UK.
his 'car' may not be built in the UK, but does that matter.
I don't think it matters where the money comes from (where would RR/JLR etc be without foreign investment/ownership)
anyone remember the Top Gear episode where they gathered all the machinery (anything from huge diggers to ice cream vans, hearses and lawn mowers) that were built in the UK - amazing amount of stuff in the Mall
his 'car' may not be built in the UK, but does that matter.
I don't think it matters where the money comes from (where would RR/JLR etc be without foreign investment/ownership)
anyone remember the Top Gear episode where they gathered all the machinery (anything from huge diggers to ice cream vans, hearses and lawn mowers) that were built in the UK - amazing amount of stuff in the Mall
SydneyBridge said:
Dyson builds his products overseas to compete, but has thousands of creative/designer staff in the UK.
his 'car' may not be built in the UK, but does that matter.
I don't think it matters where the money comes from (where would RR/JLR etc be without foreign investment/ownership)
anyone remember the Top Gear episode where they gathered all the machinery (anything from huge diggers to ice cream vans, hearses and lawn mowers) that were built in the UK - amazing amount of stuff in the Mall
We were very lucky to be part of that episode with our Jaguar hearse, our competitors who build Mercs in the UK did not get any screen time. We managed about 2 glorious seconds.his 'car' may not be built in the UK, but does that matter.
I don't think it matters where the money comes from (where would RR/JLR etc be without foreign investment/ownership)
anyone remember the Top Gear episode where they gathered all the machinery (anything from huge diggers to ice cream vans, hearses and lawn mowers) that were built in the UK - amazing amount of stuff in the Mall
We had a lot of phone calls in the following week from customers, competitors and friends who had seen the vehicle.
Its truly amazing what was on show in The Mall that day. Hats off to British industry.
big_rob_sydney said:
Leadership? What, like Trump?
Please. Lets be serious for a moment. Any endeavor like this is incredibly complex, and will need delegation to many levels.
As for the British factories bit, I admit to being somewhat underwhelmed. What major car manufacturer is actually in the hands of British "leadership" at present? Because all I see really are a bunch of manufacturers domestically situated, but owned by foreign interests. Hardly British at all. Even that paragon of British-ness, JLR, are now Indian.
No. When these companies actually offer something to the public that can be bought in commercial quantities, that's when I'll believe it.
...and this, children, is why we can't have nice things.Please. Lets be serious for a moment. Any endeavor like this is incredibly complex, and will need delegation to many levels.
As for the British factories bit, I admit to being somewhat underwhelmed. What major car manufacturer is actually in the hands of British "leadership" at present? Because all I see really are a bunch of manufacturers domestically situated, but owned by foreign interests. Hardly British at all. Even that paragon of British-ness, JLR, are now Indian.
No. When these companies actually offer something to the public that can be bought in commercial quantities, that's when I'll believe it.
Being serious for a moment, as per request - b
ks. The article is pointing out - quite rightly - that right now is a good time in the automotive industry, with interesting projects being led by home-grown talent. That's worth celebrating. And encouraging.It is of course disappointing that we don't have a British 'Ford' or 'Toyota', but without people starting projects, such companies would never grow into existence here or anywhere else. It's unfortunate that the British attitude starts first with all the reasons why we should just give in right now.
Tuna said:
...and this, children, is why we can't have nice things.
Being serious for a moment, as per request - bks. The article is pointing out - quite rightly - that right now is a good time in the automotive industry, with interesting projects being led by home-grown talent. That's worth celebrating. And encouraging.
It is of course disappointing that we don't have a British 'Ford' or 'Toyota', but without people starting projects, such companies would never grow into existence here or anywhere else. It's unfortunate that the British attitude starts first with all the reasons why we should just give in right now.
Bravo. I am not sure why some people are so obsessed with the nationalities of company shareholders Being serious for a moment, as per request - b
ks. The article is pointing out - quite rightly - that right now is a good time in the automotive industry, with interesting projects being led by home-grown talent. That's worth celebrating. And encouraging.It is of course disappointing that we don't have a British 'Ford' or 'Toyota', but without people starting projects, such companies would never grow into existence here or anywhere else. It's unfortunate that the British attitude starts first with all the reasons why we should just give in right now.
big_rob_sydney said:
Leadership? What, like Trump?
Please. Lets be serious for a moment. Any endeavor like this is incredibly complex, and will need delegation to many levels.
As for the British factories bit, I admit to being somewhat underwhelmed. What major car manufacturer is actually in the hands of British "leadership" at present? Because all I see really are a bunch of manufacturers domestically situated, but owned by foreign interests. Hardly British at all. Even that paragon of British-ness, JLR, are now Indian.
No. When these companies actually offer something to the public that can be bought in commercial quantities, that's when I'll believe it.
The fact that finance and ownership is abroad for large manufacturers is hardly important. JLR has transformed itself since being owned by an Indian company. Not because it has access to Indian experise but because its own expertise has been given a stable financial platform. That has resulted in the excellent e-pace which is both very clever and good looking. Please. Lets be serious for a moment. Any endeavor like this is incredibly complex, and will need delegation to many levels.
As for the British factories bit, I admit to being somewhat underwhelmed. What major car manufacturer is actually in the hands of British "leadership" at present? Because all I see really are a bunch of manufacturers domestically situated, but owned by foreign interests. Hardly British at all. Even that paragon of British-ness, JLR, are now Indian.
No. When these companies actually offer something to the public that can be bought in commercial quantities, that's when I'll believe it.
Other companies are doing equally as well with companies like Williams and McLaren forging ahead by selling hybrid technology and supplying it to VW Motorsport, example, in their LMP1 cars.
All F1 teams except Ferrari are UK based but the Automotive industry is a global one.
Experties and innivation are one thing, production is another. The two do not need to be geographically integrated but the experise does and is geographically located in the UK.
smilo996 said:
All F1 teams except Ferrari are UK based but the Automotive industry is a global one.
Experties and innivation are one thing, production is another. The two do not need to be geographically integrated but the experise does and is geographically located in the UK.
Tuna said:
big_rob_sydney said:
Leadership? What, like Trump?
Please. Lets be serious for a moment. Any endeavor like this is incredibly complex, and will need delegation to many levels.
As for the British factories bit, I admit to being somewhat underwhelmed. What major car manufacturer is actually in the hands of British "leadership" at present? Because all I see really are a bunch of manufacturers domestically situated, but owned by foreign interests. Hardly British at all. Even that paragon of British-ness, JLR, are now Indian.
No. When these companies actually offer something to the public that can be bought in commercial quantities, that's when I'll believe it.
...and this, children, is why we can't have nice things.Please. Lets be serious for a moment. Any endeavor like this is incredibly complex, and will need delegation to many levels.
As for the British factories bit, I admit to being somewhat underwhelmed. What major car manufacturer is actually in the hands of British "leadership" at present? Because all I see really are a bunch of manufacturers domestically situated, but owned by foreign interests. Hardly British at all. Even that paragon of British-ness, JLR, are now Indian.
No. When these companies actually offer something to the public that can be bought in commercial quantities, that's when I'll believe it.
Being serious for a moment, as per request - b
ks. The article is pointing out - quite rightly - that right now is a good time in the automotive industry, with interesting projects being led by home-grown talent. That's worth celebrating. And encouraging.It is of course disappointing that we don't have a British 'Ford' or 'Toyota', but without people starting projects, such companies would never grow into existence here or anywhere else. It's unfortunate that the British attitude starts first with all the reasons why we should just give in right now.
If they were any good, they would have produced and sold enough product to warrant their continued existence in their own right.
The Australian car went the same way, so don't get all precious about it, princess.
So refreshing to read something positive about the future of the UK automotive industry. Bravo Steve Cropley. Brits have a propensity to self-deprecation and in spite of the huge amounts of investments that the Germans, Japanese, Americans, Indians et al have made in British factories over the past decades it is always more convenient it seems to draw a negative conclusion. It surely doesn't matter who ultimately owns a company but more importantly that they have faith in the skills of the designers, engineers and assemblers that create the final product. There are umpteen world-class cars that are designed and produced in this country and sold very successfully all over the world. That is a testimony to the people who designed and built the cars, not necessarily the name above the door or the bank that provided the funding. More importantly, the jobs are here in the UK. Thank goodness that the likes of Dyson, Ratcliffe, Murray (and many others) have the individuality and creativity that breaks boundaries and faces the challenges of a brave new world.
big_rob_sydney said:
Much as I hate to rain on your parade, but...
If they were any good, they would have produced and sold enough product to warrant their continued existence in their own right.
The Australian car went the same way, so don't get all precious about it, princess.
What are you on about?If they were any good, they would have produced and sold enough product to warrant their continued existence in their own right.
The Australian car went the same way, so don't get all precious about it, princess.
big_rob_sydney said:
Much as I hate to rain on your parade, but...
If they were any good, they would have produced and sold enough product to warrant their continued existence in their own right.
The Australian car went the same way, so don't get all precious about it, princess.
On the Holden front wasn't it more of a branding failure. As GM owned it outright and they have managed to make Vauxhall work here in the UK. They should have just sold all the GM products as Holden. Instead of a niche hot rod product.If they were any good, they would have produced and sold enough product to warrant their continued existence in their own right.
The Australian car went the same way, so don't get all precious about it, princess.
Within our lifetimes, has there been any moment more exciting (or at least, interesting) than now? I'm not suggesting that all the change will be "good" -- but there will indeed be lots of good to go around.
I'm not certain that I would talk about leadership in a world that is ever more networked and project based. Rather something of a matrix -- where organisations and individuals are both leaders and followers, depending upon the instance.
Nowadays even the retail consumer is a participant, what with crowdsourced solutions like those we've seen at BMW and at Local Motors. This is a profound change from the days of David Ogilvy. Today we are less about the "push" of monolithic organisations and their brands -- and more about the pull of consumer interests and consumer co-creation.
I'm not certain that I would talk about leadership in a world that is ever more networked and project based. Rather something of a matrix -- where organisations and individuals are both leaders and followers, depending upon the instance.
Nowadays even the retail consumer is a participant, what with crowdsourced solutions like those we've seen at BMW and at Local Motors. This is a profound change from the days of David Ogilvy. Today we are less about the "push" of monolithic organisations and their brands -- and more about the pull of consumer interests and consumer co-creation.
unsprung said:
I'm not certain that I would talk about leadership in a world that is ever more networked and project based. Rather something of a matrix -- where organisations and individuals are both leaders and followers, depending upon the instance.
The thing is, networks and projects still need a crystal to coalesce around - an evangelist with a vision, a clearly stated concept - and need someone to direct the network to work efficiently. Leaders are even more important when we live in a time where anything is possible.The stated intentions of the four entrepreneurs cited in the article are certainly eyecatching. Let us all hope they succeed. Meanwhile the fact on the ground is that JLR is accomplishing a remarkable turn around in its fortunes, investing c£4 billion a year in new product and facilities. It has probably saved Jaguar from a near death experience. It is building a balanced portfolio of products and succeeding in growing sales around the world. Furthermore McLaren has built itself, in a few short years, into a sports and super car producer to be reckoned with. Ten years ago, who would have predicted either success story?
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