Was not the wolsley hornet a mini with a bigger boot
A different front and rear end to the mini, but a derivative of the mini.
Where did the British car industry go wrong?
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A different front and rear end to the mini, but a derivative of the mini.
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The very last Granada was one of my all time favourites and a very handy 5th door. I liked them so much I even bought the Scorpio - the 'Granada' fitted with new front and rear end. Ugliest car I ever had, but drove nice.
If some one wants to know one way Japan gained an edge read this
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taguchi_methods
One of the side effects was that things were designed to suit the process that was used to make them. This approach made a lot of things feel better. Hard to explain any better than this. It also seems to have resulted in more bits and bobs being added to cars. Totally different approach to the rest of the world. One aspect was higher specs of most countries cars. The basic is cheapest, add better seats for instance and the customer is hit hard - much harder than the additional cost of the seat. Answer make a cheap quality seat. Taguchi represented a philosophy really that was applied in many areas of manufacture. I used to sit next to a member of the companies Taguchi User Group. Did the company make any use of it - no.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taguchi_methods
One of the side effects was that things were designed to suit the process that was used to make them. This approach made a lot of things feel better. Hard to explain any better than this. It also seems to have resulted in more bits and bobs being added to cars. Totally different approach to the rest of the world. One aspect was higher specs of most countries cars. The basic is cheapest, add better seats for instance and the customer is hit hard - much harder than the additional cost of the seat. Answer make a cheap quality seat. Taguchi represented a philosophy really that was applied in many areas of manufacture.
I used to sit next to a member of the companies Taguchi User Group. Did the company make any use of it - no.Hi John, sadly Bob Klotz passed away very recently. He reached a good age, keeping himself very busy after retiring from the CEGB.The top management were seriously clever guys, the top man at Blyth was Bob Klotz and he spent ages with me - a true human dynamo that used to run round the place.
The top engineers were great too but it was the sheer uncooperation of others that got to me.....they hated the management, their jobs and even themselves. Hopeless.
John
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Going back to the Granada, I loved the Mk 2 "taxi" with the 2.1 PSA Diesel. Only saw one IRL, in 1981 and vowed I'd get one. But never found one again.
Bet they are like rocking horse poo now.
Was also a massive fan of the R800 saloon with the VM Diesel. Originally a power boat engine, I believe. Never fancied the hatch or the facelift.
I think there's a theme going here.....!
I do love Diesel engines!
Bet they are like rocking horse poo now.
Was also a massive fan of the R800 saloon with the VM Diesel. Originally a power boat engine, I believe. Never fancied the hatch or the facelift.
I think there's a theme going here.....!
I do love Diesel engines!
That was a time when I went Japanese, fed up with the UK tat.
I came back to UK produced with a Princess for a short time, then Granada Mk 3 and absolutely loved them, so well built, so reliable, buying three in a row. The rear hatch was so very practical. My last 'Granada' was the frog eyed Scorpio saloon, it proved every bit as good as the Granada it was derived from, but they didn't offer an hatch version. That was my last Ford.
I had begun my driving career with Ford Cortina Mk I's and had three of them, including a Lotus version which needed lots of regular attention.
I came quite late to diesels, the first I drove was a company car and I hadn't much of a clue about modern diesel engine in cars. I had to drive it four hundred miles and treated it how I had come to expect diesel engines to run - very low revs and too high a gear. Once I had the hang of them, I absolutely loved them and I have not bought petrol since, for my own personal transport.
When changing car once I went along to a Ford garage and tried the petrol and diesel version of the same car. It was the first day there for the salesman that "served" me. We both concluded that the diesel gave the impression that it was a more powerful car. That wasn't explained by the bhp figures. People might think this is because diesel engines produce more torque at low revs. Doesn't make much sense though with a turbo fitted so I think most companies decided to make them have that characteristic. I've towed a caravan with both petrol and diesel engined cars. There is less mpg penalty with diesel.
My current diesel is turbo charged but peak power and torque curve etc is just like a traditional diesel. No tank of blue to meet emission standards. The result is more gearstick use. For instance at 30mph on the flat I can just about use 4th. May have to use 3rd.
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I must confess I got used to driving my Monty Diesel round London in 3rd!
Moved off in 3rd, got up to 30, 40 whatever, then the next set of lights or roundabout, stop and move off again in 3rd. It was like having an auto!
Perhaps it wasn't advisable, but it never complained.
Moved off in 3rd, got up to 30, 40 whatever, then the next set of lights or roundabout, stop and move off again in 3rd. It was like having an auto!
Perhaps it wasn't advisable, but it never complained.
The general problem manufacture had was competing with imports. Some companies not good enough as simple as that. Not all though. So Mrs T removes exchange controls so money can flood out of the country. This caused some to move manufacture elsewhere - cheaper labour.
Then comes guys like the one that ran ICI. It was a very large company producing a wide range of things. Harvey-Jones. His basic argument about everything was can't compete with imports so stop doing it. Interesting read
Imperial Chemical Industries - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
One of his arguments was lack or local raw materials. Problem is that work has continued in some countries that also lack them. Harvey-Jones's view was pretty typical of the time.
Also a form of asset stripping. Best examples are probably in the aerospace area. Buy a place for it's contract and then get rid of it. Vickers for instance is a good example. After being bought the factory was bull dozed. They just took what they wanted.
Then comes pure and simple asset stripping, competitive buy outs and etc.
It was pretty clear around 1970 that more and more imported cars would be appearing. I was given a part time job looking at parts they used and asked why and that was the reply. Virtually all of the cars in use here were UK made at the time.
I worked for Lucas.
Always did after a fashion just moved on to other jobs and companies. Sold effectively. Lucas sold of all of it's various wings to others including the people working in them. They sold very quickly. That eventually allowed a raid on the pension fund. They kept aerospace and move bread and butter production of car parts to Taiwan. They then merged with a USA company to try and expand there. More or less immediately bought up by a larger USA company.Lucas competing with Bosch - no chance of getting a German manufacturer to switch, as simple as that.
Some would say better products - I'd say balls but Lucas did retire a lot of it's know how at one point which may have made products suffer. Big pension fund so retired them early. Bosch in my view more sensible - diversified into none car areas. Lucas - no interest at all. Their last development was accurate moulded headlamp reflectors - they just gave the technology away. A number of others as well.Manufacture has a problem. It's not like research. Design and development work is done to make something at a profit. People have to be paid with no sales while that is going on. It's far easier to import from some company that has already done the work. It's less risky. The bigger the company imported from the more scope they have. It's one of the USA's advantages - big home market but look how much they import now. Market size is a key feature of the EU. German companies are likely to gear up to service all of it or at least try to.
Reminds me of the 'Gearless' Mini prototypes!
Issigonis Prototype 1970 Mini 9X
The Atwell-Wilson Motor Museum is now home to the Issigonis Prototype 1970 Mini 9X 'Gearless', donated to the Museum by the Heritage Motor Centre at Gaydon, Warwickshire.
atwellwilson.org.uk
I found the opposite, but it may depend upon the car.
I had mine remapped, soon after buying it.
My diesel tows effortlessly, mostly in 5th, I sometimes need to drop to 4th on the longer, steeper motorway hills. Solo it will pull 4th at 20, 5th at 25 on the flat. What does disappoint me, is that when pulling away it needs some accelerator to avoid stalling. Most diesels I have had, if I am gentle on the clutch, I can pull away without needing the accelerator. I usually do a block change, 3 to 5.
I need to use 1st to pull away and get out of it as soon as possible. This may be because the car is rated to tow 2 tonne. LOL 2nd doesn't last long either. 3rd is pretty flexible for urban 30mph driving. 4th not so much. That's happeir at 40, and 5th at 50. The result though is a 4x4 that isn't a gas guzzler. Far from it really compared with cars with similar interior space.
I towed with petrol Shogun and a same style Isuzu. Then in need of a life I bought a diesel land cruiser. Lot better consumption than the others towing but not so good as petrol for general driving.
The land cruiser was a heavy thing to drive around quickly when we were on holiday off good main roads. Something I often found myself doing. I also towed with a diesel Xantia much as you do using 5th. Can't recollect motorway hills being a problem. but I towed at 60mph. Also a V6 diesel Passat. Other than our first one which was old caravans have been at the heavier end of things. My wife always really loaded them up as well.I used to have take a can of oil with me when we used the Shogun.
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That is exactly what my Monty was like. I don't know if it was unusual, but I could move off without using the right pedal and when coming to a stop you only needed to drop the clutch at the last second. The thing was very difficult to stall.
I too used to do block changes with no grumbles.
In fact, I got bonus points on an AA driving assessment for work for doing block changes in a company Transit.
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