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The BMC Story

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I truly think the British "sports car" manufactures back in the late sixties began to lose they way in terms of "why" the American and other world markets bought there little sports cars in the first place! They wanted and loved the old classic design, the look and seat of the pants feel when driving such a classic Sports car like the Tr-3 MGs, Healeys,and Old E-type. They soon forgot the main reason why WW2 American Airmen bought there Classic sporty MGs back to America with them in the first place! These Airman where used to flying high performance fighters,bombers ect... And wanted that open air sporty driving experience. No frills.... just open air fun!

Americans and others did not want a boring everyday grocery getter that insulated you from the road! They wanted and expected to get wire wheels, simple fold down top, a dash filled with smith gauges, two bucket seats! A raw open road Roadster that was pure Fun! To this day, If the British rolled out the old original blue prints and and began to remanufacture these old raw fun Classics.... I believe they would still sell to the special interest market.
 
Alas, everything has a life cycle. Classical music could only be done in the 18th Century, '70's rock in the '70's, revival architecture in the 1920's, and British sports cars in the 1950's and 1960's. It all happened in a time and place never to be duplicated again, ever. Fortunately, we have it with us still and can cherish what has survived. If Britain kept churning out the same cars, what we have now would not be nearly as special as it is.
 
Yes so true! An era gone by! But feels good to rekindle it everytime I pull the choke, turn the key and watch the Smiths gauges come to life!
 
The thing to remember is that Brummies made most of these cars and had it not been for the malicious unions, more of us would understand how nice they are and how proud of what they were doing they were. Birmingham people or Brummies are some of the most friendly and kind on the planet and they were proud and loyal.

After WW1 and for a year or so, there was tremendous demand and inflation, Austin was a manufacturers of some of the best cars in the world and I'd post pictures if I could, so they introduced a new model called the 20. Think Model Y Ford designed by Rolls-Royce and trimmed by the finest coach builders. It didn't sell in sufficient quantity to keep the vast numbers Austin was employing thanks to the War effort, so Herbert Austin designed the 12, a smaller version that became known as the million mile Austin, so durable was it. I'd love to post a picture, but this forum. This didn't sell enough either and the company went into liquidation. Herbert Austin designed the 7 over night on a cigarette packet so the legend goes. Think miniaturised Model T. He persuaded the liquidators to allow the company to make the car if he could get his workers to go without wages till the company was back in profit.

The great man stood in front of 15,000 mend and promised them that if they backed him they were guaranteed a job for life and they agreed. The result of all this was that they loved him and some were working there into their seventies and eighties and through all the Union **** stirring. He wasn't a warm man, he was perfectionist and with exacting standards that were expected from his designs and his people, but they respected him and made that company special.

In many ways a Healey is a rotten and dated old car, but that misses the point, it might be one of the most beautiful ever made and when you get in it, you feel something special, it's more than a car and you're proud to own one. Everybody had a favourite car and some even love VW campers, but a Healey and the Rome Liege Rally? The Coupes Des Alpes, or just loveable loonies like john Chatham, all make the car just that bit more than most IMO.
 
Interesting that EV2239 should mention the Austin Seven, because that car, beloved though it was by me and especially my father, illustrates perfectly another big problem with the British motor industry - an unwillingness to move on and re-invest.
When introduced in 1922 it was a revelation. Small, cheap, and relatively weatherproof, it could take husband and wife with 2 small children to the seaside, or shopping (you didn't buy much in those days!) and it worked. It was made out of excellent materials so didn't go wrong much and was perfect for its time.
But Austin let its time go on too long. By the time the last one was made, in 1939, it was overweight, underpowered and didn't sell at all well. Its replacement, the Big Seven, was dire, and it was only the completely new design, the Eight, that started to regain market share.
Ford in the meantime had introduced their Eights and Tens, much better cars, and even Morris had improved their range, despite an unwelcome reversion to side-valve from their rather sweet OHC engines that powered early Minors and MG Midgets.
 
What a film, enjoyed it thoroughly. What's good for BMC is good for Britain, where have I heard that before.

Not sure that US regulations and unions killed the British sports car. What about the Mustang? Much cheaper, faster, and room for four. Selling a few hundred thou of those every year sure stole a ton of LBC sales. Until the Mustang, if you wanted a sporty car, a TR, Healey, or MGB were great cars for young folks who didn't want a Corvair or Fairlane 500.
 
They sold 500,000 Austin 7s, there were a number of different models and this was to a country that probably had less than 3 million cars on the road by 1939. You lot forget that this country is 1/5th the size of the USA and nothing like as wealthy.
 
EV2239 said:
They sold 500,000 Austin 7s, there were a number of different models and this was to a country that probably had less than 3 million cars on the road by 1939. You lot forget that this country is 1/5th the size of the USA and nothing like as wealthy.
Click to expand...

I don't forget anything of the sort - I was born a few miles from where you live! There were rather less than 300,000 A7s, still a good number though.
 
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