US auto industry, British Auto Industry, NPR story

[tweety]

All of my conversations regarding the CH. 11 filings of GM and Chrysler have me citing the parallels between the current US auto industry and the British auto industry between '68 and '75.

Then, earlier today on NPR, there was a story on the same topic. The closed it out with the sound track from an MG commercial... "good goin' MG Midget" Man I wish I could have recorded it.

here's the commercial

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rg-SU_JZO04

 

[Sarastro]

Well, of course there were a lot of reasons for the demise of the British car industry that don't apply here and now. But, in the final analysis, the Brits and one time had the second or third largest auto industry in the world, and now it's almost completely gone. THAT is the fact I find sobering. It can happen.

 

[RickB]

Hey, there's my brown Midget!!
And there's a guy putting a Tuba in a Midget - just like me!

Thanks - great commercial. :wink:

 

[jlaird]

I liked that.

 

[JPSmit]

OK not Midget but, was reading an MGB history and heard the story of this commercial

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UimUXI6J8o&feature=related

seems the guy who made this commercial used his own car - first take it landed upsidedown. Not much else commercial wise - they went on & made it, but, he went to his insurance company and claimed the "accident." and they paid it! That's comprehensive coverage.

 

[walshja]

All of my conversations regarding the CH. 11 filings of GM and Chrysler have me citing the parallels between the current US auto industry and the British auto industry between '68 and '75.

Then, earlier today on NPR, there was a story on the same topic. The closed it out with the sound track from an MG commercial... "good goin' MG Midget" Man I wish I could have recorded it.

here's the commercial

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rg-SU_JZO04

I went to npr's website but couldn't find the story.

Do you remember the name of the story?

 

[tweety]

Re: US auto industry, British Auto Industry, NPR s

All of my conversations regarding the CH. 11 filings of GM and Chrysler have me citing the parallels between the current US auto industry and the British auto industry between '68 and '75.

Then, earlier today on NPR, there was a story on the same topic. The closed it out with the sound track from an MG commercial... "good goin' MG Midget" Man I wish I could have recorded it.

here's the commercial

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rg-SU_JZO04

I went to npr's website but couldn't find the story.

Do you remember the name of the story?

Nope, can't remember the story name. I could not find it on NPR's site either.

 

[theleisure]

Re: US auto industry, British Auto Industry, NPR s

here it is-- NPR All Things Considered, June 3rd, 2009

"All Things Considered, June 3, 2009 · Government bailouts of automotive giants aren't a new development — the British did it with British Leyland in 1974. Garrel Rhys, director of the Center for Automotive Industry Research at Cardiff Business School in Wales, talks about the history of that company."

 

[JamesWilson]

The best discussion I've read of the demise of the British Sports Car industry is At the End of the Road, it's pretty academic but discusses the issues well- particularly the impact of more developed foreign cars and the British tendency to milk things as long as possible without investing in them; and should be available from a good library, if you've better uses for the $925 (Ouch!) Amazon's used reseller wants for it. THAT's enough to tempt me to go raid the local library for its copy....

 

[jhorton3]

That's an absurd price for the book!

 

[John Moore]

Here's a great documentary on the demise of the British Car Industy. It's three parts, but good stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAWH0EfMDfc