The rise of car imports | British car industry | European Cars | Japanese cars | Drive in | 1977

Shaw Taylor and Tony Bastable take a look at how foreign car imports is affecting the British car industry and how cars from the far east are also seen as a threat.
First shown: 27/04/1977
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Quote: VT1419

[@HiKennyS]

This had already passed the point of when the customer was not that concerned about where the car was built, but as long as it worked.

[@alifloydtv]

I bet! Also, look at the garbage BL were putting out at this point. Marina, Allegro, Princess...blurgh. Give me a Golf or a mk1 Cav any day.

[@notroll1279]

Still the same today, despite much better quality. If I bought a new VW today, I wouldn't really care if it has been assembled in Wolfsburg, Pamplona, somewhere in Hungary or in Slovakia... and I suppose most car owners never know where theirs has been assembled.

[@notroll1279]

@@richardjames1431 Please explain...

[@RoadCone411]

alifloydtv Not exactly true - there were a lot of buyers who only wanted to ‘Buy British’ back then and bought into the whole false patriotism thing, most of the time duly rewarded with a car that wouldn’t start or was rusted through in three years. Plenty of WW2 vets who would never be seen in a German or Japanese car (I knew one or two.) While BL cars may have been inferior to the newfangled VW Golf in the mid-1970s, let’s not forget that BL cars were much cheaper to buy and cheaper to maintain. That counted for a lot too.

[@paulsmith-ib3nx]

@@richardjames1431 Some will argue that Ssangyong's are not built to VW strict quality guidelines and standards. Though I would've plumped for an MGHS if our local dealer wasn't do inept and our new Berlingo hadn't made more sense.

[@heraldeventsandfilms5970]

The Volvo is probably still on the road.

[@Richie90090]

I had a 240 for years and clocked up over 250 thousand miles with no real problems ever!

[@heraldeventsandfilms5970]

@@Richie90090 Like driving a friendly old sofa.

[@Richie90090]

@@heraldeventsandfilms5970 Absolutely!

[@calumbaxter9946]

Tax expired 1994 according to the DVLA so 18 years.

[@Richie90090]

@Gary Dodgson I have also had bikes most of my adult life but fortunately never been hit by a Volvo

[@pook2830]

LOL at calling Korea a 3rd world country. We were SOOOO short sighted and arrogant. We deserved to lose our car industry. We just didn't see any of it coming.

[@mightywoll3]

Its been two years, but i want to add that the context of that changed with time, during that era it meant simply not particularly aligned with the east or the west.

[@warmstrong5612]

NATO is 1st world, Warsaw Pact was the 2nd world, and everywhere else is 3rd world. That's where those monikers come from. 3rd world doesn't mean what you think it means.

[@danieljames2015]

The decline and fall of the British Motor Industry between mid 60's and early 80's is one of the saddest tales of incompetence, militant Unions, overpaid rubbish Management and corrupt Politicians.

[@RoadCone411]

Totally agree. It’s quite fascinating until you realize how many people lost their jobs and livelihoods over the decades, and the fact that some great carmakers (Rover, Hillman, Triumph, Morris etc.) have ceased to exist because of those factors you mentioned. Triumph could have been like BMW and Rover might have been sort of like Audi had the companies produced better cars, reacted to market changes and the parent companies managed themselves properly. It’s all water under the bridge now, a blip in time when British volume carmakers were a thing. Watch out, the Vauxhall brand is on notice now, in my opinion.

[@danieljames2015]

@@RoadCone411 ; Exactly. When you consider the start of the Sixties saw us at no 3 , Japanese not even a cause for mild concern. As a kid, on holiday in Europe, Rovers, Triumphs, (some)Jags , BMC and Rootes products were ubiquitous and well thought of. A source of pride for a patriotic little Boy. And then almost overnight the above suspects blindly allowed the ambitious Japanese ,French and Germans just to waft in with basic but cleverly marketed products . Same with Motorbikes , at no 1. We gave the US to them. Our Govn killed our World beating Aircraft Industry . All of these wasters ended up enriched or ennobled for their services to their Nation. But we still have a World Leading Service sector to count on, yes ? We should be where Japan or Germany are now industrially were it not for these dead weights.

[@danieljames2015]

PS, I work for PSA (owners of Vauxhall, and Cars HAVE the sword of Damocles over them. Ellesmere Port workers being moved to Luton.

[@RoadCone411]

Daniel James Good luck, Sir. I wonder what long-term ramifications COVID will have on the auto industry...it may just accelerate the inevitable.

[@russcattell955i]

@@danieljames2015 My late grandfather moved from Luton to Ellesmere Port to set up the factory production in the 60's. A company man to the marrow. He had reserved occupation in WW2 making army trucks & tanks. when he had to give up football & cricket he became Vauxhall Motors snooker champion a few times Oh how I loved him.

[@TheEmperorPigeon]

For those who are curious like me: the Volvo's last logbook was issued March 1994 and tax due September 1994, the Vauxhall Cavalier's last logbook was issued March 1989 and tax was due December 1990, the Chrysler Alpine's last logbook was issued was November 1983 with tax being due April 1984. Try as I might, I can't make out the Ford Fiesta's number plate _or_ I have and those are fake/dealer plates. Looks like PWO 637R (which doesn't work) and I've tried variations to no avail. Either way, I doubt it would have lasted all that long and the Volvo still easily won for longevity before being scrapped/SORNed and forgotten.

[@EgoShredder]

Yeah I just tried a few and none worked for the Fiesta. PNO 697R or PWO 677R etc

[@paulhackett1313]

Thanks for that.volvos very durable.

[@TheEmperorPigeon]

@@rossleigh7842 Of all those I tried, including starting with PNO, I didn't put in this combination. So now we know the Ford Fiesta was scrapped/SORNed August 1986 with tax due January 1987.

[@edword7195]

@@TheEmperorPigeon sorned in 86 doubtful, that sorn nonsense did not start until the 00s

[@owensteele1645]

@@TheEmperorPigeon 😢Poor Fiesta. I love the mk1's.

[@jtbtabimono]

I really love these old footages. They are extremely educational in many ways, not just the contents but all these comments and discussions contributed by the viewers are equally as interesting and educational.

[@dcanmore]

You can see how utterly mad British Leyland were of their products. Looking at the 1979 edition of Motor's Road Test Annual, it has a Morris Marina 1.8S (72bhp mid-range model) competing against the Toyota Carina and Honda Accord. Both Japanese cars were less than three years old in design. Marina was launched in '71 and is poorly equipped (not even a radio as standard) with slightly less power yet same cost as the Toyota and £200 cheaper than the Honda although the Accord came with a huge standard list of equipment. Both cars were replaced by entirely new Carina and Accord designs in 1981 while BL came up with the Morris Ital. Bonkers. Good build quality, reliable and well equipped cars allowed the Japanese to sell their products across the world, British Leyland built their cars to a standard of what British people thought was a good car in 1971.

[@lewis72]

Japanese cars rusted like buggery in the '70s; worse than British cars and they rusted ! What WAS mad was that the Mini sold for a loss for many of its years. It should have been a hatchback from day 1 an then priced so that it sold at a profit... or at least break-even with a long options list ! Austin 1100/1300 also should have been a 5 door hatchback; estate was 3 door. SO many wrong product decisions, IMO.

[@dcanmore]

@@lewis72 I specifically responded to the time period of the cars for sale which this video represents, the mid to late Seventies. Both the Mini and the 1100/1300 were best sellers in the decade before and both cars were designed in the 1950s, there was no concept of a hatchback market back then either in the UK or anywhere else. The Mini was a loss maker on the Mk1 version only.

[@lewis72]

@@dcanmore "there was no concept of a hatchback market back then either in the UK or anywhere else" - Both the Maxi & SD1 were hatchbacks. Maxi looked terrible though and had some reliability niggles. SD1 could have done far better if it were built properly and had kept to trusted material used in P6 & 2000/2500... and if the 2300/2600 sixes didn't wear out camshafts.

[@dcanmore]

@@lewis72 oh dear, please read again re hatchbacks, I'm talking about the Mini and 1100/1300 that you mentioned, I'm calling this conversation off, you are all over the place.

[@gadrian58]

At the same time Austin were building their 1100 and 1300 they also manufactured the Austin A40 which was a hatchback, in fact I believe it was the worlds first hatchback design. Therefore, if customers really wanted a hatchback they had a choice of one but perhaps it was ahead of it's time, because they bought more booted cars. The Austin 1100- 1300 were Britains biggest sellers during this period a very popular model indeed.

[@rhettburger6705]

I think that man would've fainted if he knew Jaguar was going to be made by the makers of the Tata Nano.

[@QuadMochaMatti]

What would Sir William be doing? Perhaps he's still spinning wildly - wherever he may be, in whatever form he is in?

[@matthewgodwin3050]

@@QuadMochaMatti I believe the town in which he's burried is still being powered by the spinning in his grave.

[@bradlemmond]

Most of the British brands that aren't dead are owned by counties they fought during WWII or counties they used to own.

[@MrsZambezi]

@@bradlemmond The Jaguars are excellent quality and designed and built by Brits.

[@chesswizard31]

@@MrsZambezi Jaguar had a reputation for building unreliable cars even back when they were British. I would hesitate to call them poor quality due to the nice interiors, but they weren't a Rolls Royce or a Bentley.

[@MajorKlanga]

They totally ignored the real problem with British industry which was severe under-investment due to short-termism.

[@liamb8644]

And as a result we haven’t made our own cars in about 30 years, sad really. Even Land Rovers are partly made in China.

[@davesaunders3334]

And the fact that the workforce went on strike every time the towels needed changing in the factory toilets.

[@zenbudhism]

Only land rovers made in china. The rest are made in the UK and all jaguars

[@kushsakhu]

Indeed and the fact that cheap labour is the holy grail for manufacturers. Hence, Asia and China now do a significant amount of manufacturing. The work are sadly seen as unimportant in the long run.

[@kushsakhu]

@@davesaunders3334 You have a valid point, but may be somewhat exaggerated however.

[@TheVintageApplianceEmporium]

A high quality, reliable, Volvo 244DL or a pile of rubbish shat out by BL that starts to rust on the forecourt? Ummmmm.........

[@howardkerr8174]

Indeed, when other manufacturers were producing cars with OHC engines and McPherson Strut suspensions....BL gave the world several cars with OHV engines and lever action shock absorbers.

[@lewis72]

@@howardkerr8174 Many of BL's cars of the '70s were OHC (Allegro 1500 & 1750, Dolomite 1850 & Sprint, TR7, Stag, Rover 2300/2600, Princess 1700/2000. XJ-S I think BL's mistake was trying to offer too much spec. In the '70s, BL was selling cars with: - Overdrive - OHC - 4 valves/cylinder - Fuel injection - Hydrogas suspension - All aluminium engines - FWD/Transverse engines - 5 speed manual - 4 speed auto Generally, Ford just sold the basic stuff, which was well styled, easy to understand well priced and well marketed. Escort, Cortina, Granada... all basic RWD cars, 4-speed manuals or 3 speed autos, 2 valve/cylinder engines with iron blocks and iron heads. Only Pinto was OHC, V6s were pushrod, as was the Kent 1300/1100 4 cylinder. Only Fiesta was modern for its age, being a FWD hatchback.

[@gadrian58]

Yes I agree British manufacturers were always very experimental and producing novel and advanced design that suffered teething problem. While Ford churned out old dull but reliable and predictable designs. In the end it was Fords dull and boring designs that triumphed over British advanced experimentation, sadly.

[@lewis72]

@@gadrian58 Ford were and still are very good at marketing and sales. The Mk1 Escort looked good, with it curvy lines, so was easy to see why someone with their hard-earned would want that on their driveway, even if it was quite a basic car. IMO, Mini & Austin/Morris 1100/1300 cars looked great too but I think that they were expensive to build and so probably had a lower profit margin. I forgot the Range Rover too ! That was launched in 1970 but I really think that they failed to expand sales of that throughout the '70s. It only became a 'thing' in the mid-late '80s. XJ-S, XJ6 & XJ12 were epic cars from a styling and technical point of view but reliability and rust were big problems.

[@andrewhatton2774]

Howard Kerr not to mention hydro gas

[@mcmcolm]

What an excellent interviewee, very clued in but also diplomatic in giving his opinions of BL.

[@CaptHollister]

The Japanese may have taken advantage of striking British workers, but mostly they took advantage of crappy BL cars. The British consumer, oth, took advantage of Japanese cars that actually worked all the time vs BL cars that didn't.

[@jackkruese9929]

Totally agree but I can remember the 1970s and there still being a snobbish attitude towards Japanese products and that we were still somehow better. Sadly

[@eddkennedy6458]

​​@@jackkruese9929Early Datsuns had BMC engine's, but improved upon, you are correct in saying about snobbery, people used to say jap crap but the truth was they we're extremely reliable I had a Datsun 120Y it was a brilliant little car,

[@bens1972]

I think this is just a perfect example of integration of markets in Europe and the way in which business co-operate. This is good for Britain and indeed all the rest of business. Well it was until we left the EU...

[@JJVernig]

This! Overall it helped in stepping up the quality and the possibility of being competitive in the rest of the world. It's so strange to see the focus on the level of Britishness and not focus on quality and best bang for the buck, and the effect of it would be a better position for the industry, parts or complete cars.

[@leewinters606]

Nothing to do with being in the eu it's good work practices that you need, japan and South Korea are not in the eu look at Japanese plant in the uk they have no problems .you don't have to be a member of eu to make good products or who you sell them to if the eu put tariffs on products then the opposite side do also or they go find other markets the eu has become uncompetitive and a cartel there still selling cars with 3 year warranty when Japaneses and South Korea ate offering 7 and 8 that's why there getting more car sales.

[@abum4595]

Unlikely since joining the EEC didn't help the car industry and the japanese or the americans never had such an 'advantage'

[@notroll1279]

I like how the map of Europe still shows Germany's borders before WW II... but strangely, Eastern Prussia is missing. Well, never mind.... it's the spirit that counts 😀

[@notroll1279]

@m g Erm, Königsberg (later renamed Kaliningrad) was the largest town in East Prussia. What Russia now calls the Kaliningrad Oblast is roughly the Northern half of East Prussia. Pre-WW I Germany had still been much bigger - the Eastern border lay further East in a much softer curve.

[@jaysterling26]

They Kant make maps like they used to.

[@notroll1279]

@@jaysterling26 Nice one!

[@Glenn1967ful]

You could buy a new Toyota in 1977 without having to wait weeks for delivery due to industrial action, the car always started and never broke down, it had a radio as standard and was cheaper than a British car, You never went back to British Leyland.

[@saxongreen78]

A big, comfy 6cyl Nissan Laurel - fully loaded, immediate delivery - £4000.

[@saxongreen78]

In Australia alone Britain had already squandered a huge market by this stage...the cars had become a byword for 'flaky'. At the end of the decade all that was being imported from GB were luxury models and a few bus chassis.

[@robertmarsh3588]

Lack of investment in often excellent engineering and design plus the appalling build quality of British manufactured cars combined with almost continual union action made for a perfect storm and cost the industry dear. Those unions ultimately succeeded in beating their (often poor) management and in so doing destroyed the industry. Well done lads.

[@adstix]

8:30 prophetic statement back in 1977

[@D_HongKongVideos]

Korea third world? I think UK is more third world now. Korea is so advanced

[@person.X.]

@@D_HongKongVideos This was filmed in 1977 remember. Of course Korea would not be classified as Third World today.

[@D_HongKongVideos]

person X agree 😃

[@RoadCone411]

I think this guy really knew his stuff. Basically what he said actually happened.

[@person.X.]

@@RoadCone411 Definitely. It is refreshing to see the media interviewing someone with a brain who actually knows what he is talking about. Rare as rocking horse poo to see interviews like this today for some reason.

[@sanchoodell6789]

1:37 What was that map based on? Germany has pre 1939 borders! (looked at its eastern border with Poland. It still has Pomeria and Silesia!) Also it was still two separate states in 1977 West & East Germany after being partitioned in 1949. It was re unified in 1990.

[@ctrlaltdelboy]

I would love to see the full episodes of these put up, brilliant content and quite spooky some of the predictions and foreshadowing some of these old clip show. We are never going to see these on normal tv, com’on Thames make it so.

[@ctrlaltdelboy]

Did that guy call Korea a third world country? Oh How it’s changed.

[@christiankolinski1563]

Way back then, those terms were used a bit differently: First World: US allies, Second: USSR allies, Third: block free states. The notion of 3rd world to be undeveloped/lacking economies is a more modern take on it, as the western/eastern block designation lost it's meaning with the collapse of the USSR.

[@gerijokub7737]

They really were a third world country.. in the 1970s.

[@Westhamsterdam]

@@christiankolinski1563 South Korea, in the 70´s was extremely poor, nothing what it is today!

[@che630]

Look at how China has developed

[@will2993]

@@christiankolinski1563 But south korea was and still is a US ally. So i think the modern term was being applied here.

[@georgebogdan397]

Nobody is like Tony Bastable

[@AlfaGiuliaQV]

He comes across as an arrogant toff.

[@chesswizard31]

@@AlfaGiuliaQV That's why we love him, he's hilarious!

[@phillipecook3227]

@@AlfaGiuliaQVNothing arrogant about him Great communicator who was passionate about the subject matter.

[@pook2830]

This video highlights what killed the British car industry. When discussing what to do about it, not one person suggested that it may be a good idea to stop making crap cars.

[@ruinerblodsinn6648]

These people are always the misunderstood hero / victim and never the cause of the problem. Brexit mentality 101.

[@bencarpendale]

9:02

[@phillipecook3227]

" I thonk Korea will become something of a force in the car market". Did this man have 2nd sight?

[@robv1139]

Nah, more probably just aware of what a lot of lazy so-and-so's we are by comparison.

[@sh-ig9fm]

No not really my perants own a Kia sole with in the first 3 years it's got Window failures Cigarette lighter short sirkiting the front lights Front springs needing replacing on both front wheels twice after completely failing And now this year it got rust on the outside panels yes that's right RUST All within 3 years of its release

[@robv1139]

@@sh-ig9fm Sorry to hear that, but it's just one car, we can all point to good and bad examples on everything.

[@Shiggiesmalls02]

right now other than tesla I reckon Kia and Hyundai have the best electric cars on the market

[@epender]

@@sh-ig9fm Doesn't Kia have a 7 year warranty? Or is stuff like that not included.

[@ahassen1236]

You have to hand it to the Germans and Japanese as far as their car industry is concerned. Hardwork and dedication can achieve everything. When in Britain we had poor cars coated in Strikes and Union power they made damn good cars at the time, and sent Britain packing. Toyota is the only car brand you'll find in the jungles of Tanzania, deserts of Algeria, streets of London.

[@LMB222]

Hard work? Germans? You're trying to cover up the British arrogance that killed the industry, aren't you.

[@markharris7662]

For me the volvo set high standards. My dad switched from rovers p6 when they ended and went to volvo.

[@rich_edwards79]

Agreed. I have a 40yo Volvo 240 and in many ways it still feels reasonably modern today - a very practical classic that has no problems keeping up with modern traffic.

[@minidriversouthsweden5137]

The 70’s Volvo was a tank with safety and practicality in mind. Not a speed rocket button would just keep on going. And with some steel wire duct tape copper paste and elbow grease you could fix the whole car.

[@minidriversouthsweden5137]

The 70’s Volvo was a tank with safety and practicality in mind. Not a speed rocket button would just keep on going. And with some steel wire duct tape copper paste and elbow grease you could fix the whole car.

[@TheSpritz0]

The presenting Host had the MOST British face I've ever seen in my long life!!!!!!!!!

[@davesaunders3334]

Keep ‘em peeled!

[@TJTruth]

im a little over 40 and live in America, but something about that opening scene when the Thames logo rises out of the water and the theme music starts to play resonates with me. I don't know if my parents watched when i was young or if that was possible, but it feels like that is a part of my past some how? It is really freaking me out, and now I am obsessed with old British cars, mostly Fords... and Leyland more out of curiosity and I had a spitfire i use to drive around the yard when i was 15.

[@18in80]

8:55 To hell with patriotism! If I'm spending £1000s of my hard earned money on a car, I'll buy what I like from whoever is selling what I want, whether it be German, Italian or whatever. People who buy British just because it's British are not only severely restricting their choice of products but very likely to avoid a superior product better suited to their requirements.

[@matthewgodwin3050]

I remember my grandfather telling me about the outrage from some people when he bought one of the first Datsun 120Y models in the 70s. People would call him a traitor, and blamed him for deserting the British worker and helping to wreck the British car industry. I can understand that, but you really can't blame people for purchasing a more readily available, more reliable, and better built car for less money than the appalling rubbish being thrown together at Longbridge on the odd day they weren't standing around a brazier now, can you. I've followed in my grandfather's footsteps and I buy Japanese too. Because they make the best cars suited to my needs.

[@18in80]

@@matthewgodwin3050 My own grandfather was one of those people who criticised those who didn't buy British. A brother of his bought a Datsun in the '70s and he too was criticised. I myself worked with a man years ago in the '90s who refused to buy German, Italian or Japanese purely due to WW2. Imagining sitting in a queue of traffic and seeing a nice car you could easily afford but then realising it's a VW and then instantly turning it down due to it being German.

[@David_S1985]

@@18in80 I call bull shit. No sane person ever looks at a VW as something desirable. Ferrari etc yes but anyone who desires a VW cannot claim to have an interest in cars.

[@MrsZambezi]

Now German cars have very poor reliability, worse than many cars built here, yet the German is best nonsense persists.

[@HowardLeVert]

@@matthewgodwin3050 Two of my relatives bought Datsuns in the 70s because they got sick of their Vauxhalls constantly breaking down: the engines in particular were utterly shocking.

[@gotham61]

The last guy interviewed saw the writing on the wall, but the truth turned out to be much worse. There is essentially no British owned car industry left, almost everything with a British nameplate on it is now foreign owned. You don't hear people dismissing South Korea as a "third world country" these days.

[@sebastians5620]

I wonder how this will play out for the British car industry...

[@ctrlaltdelboy]

I think if the mini replacement the rumoured “metro” isn’t a success I think British Leyland are not going to be around for much longer, maybe the Americans or the Germans might buy them

[@davarosmith1334]

It went tits up!

[@regenjo]

That map of Germany was a bit outdated even in 77.

[@djh29971]

It shows how times change. Even in the 70's, did people really care where their car was made? It simply does not matter.

[@mcmcolm]

I think it really did matter, GB was an awful lot more patriotic back in the day, so were a lot of countries. Manufacturing was huge industry too.

[@iainmclaughlan1557]

Car manufacturing employed a lot of people then, robots do most of it now. It impacted a lot of jobs.

[@GrotrianSeiler]

Very interesting, even more so retrospectively.

[@Johanniscool]

It always strikes me when I watch these old shows how nationalistic the UK was around the car production industry.

[@ardennite1]

The US was the same, until recently.

[@paulsmith-ib3nx]

We were nationalistic about everything. It's a shame that it now gets confused with racism.

[@iainmclaughlan1557]

I remember as a kid in the 80’s the nationalism, it has been kicked out of us, unfortunately

[@adorabasilwinterpock6035]

Nationalism = Austin Allegro Common sense open mindedness = Best car, no matter where it is from

[@iainmclaughlan1557]

Also, cars needed a lot of manual labour to make in those days = jobs, today the labour cost is 15% of the total cost. Robots make cars.

[@stevenmoran4060]

Foreign cars were bought because fully British ones rusted away and broke down all the time. I had a 4 year old mini in the seventies and apart from the body rust the bonnet came away from cross frame that fastened it down at 70 mph. Dead good build quality where weld totally fail and it could have ending up killing me. Fords were equally as bad too. Everyone rated fiestas but the first generation Renault 5’s were better in all ways, lighter, quieter better mpg and the mark 1 5 TS with it 1.4 engine with twin chokes out performed many “performance” cars of the day and, managed to have space for the spare wheel in the engine bay, thus freeing up boot space.

[@MrsZambezi]

The first Renault 5 was fine until you got to a corner. My Escort was far better.

[@stevenmoran4060]

You couldn’t lift a rear wheel in an escort though.

[@zenbudhism]

Why would you want to lift a rear wheel

[@Christian-rj2yc]

The visualization techniques of facts and figures has certainly improved since then...

[@civlyzed]

Definitely, this was pure analog!

[@zenbudhism]

Nope this is more fun

[@MsSteve70]

Is that a bird's nest on Geoffrey's bonce?

[@spankysmp]

Lockdown hair. A man ahead of his time.

[@MsSteve70]

@@spankysmp HA!

[@robert3987]

I was wondering about that too.

[@bokhans]

MrSteve NO, it’s a mouse nest... 😂

[@johnathanryan2117]

Jeff owen knew what he was talking about. Even Shaw was muttering in agreement.

[@Javier_eu]

Thnks for this piece of history

[@owensteele1645]

I miss programs like these. All interesting information about what's going on in the motor industry at the moment the program was being made. No dicking about with 200+mph supercars here! I love a bit of Shaw and Tony.

[@salipander6570]

A piece of history!

[@IrishPartizan]

A Volvo 244 or a Morris Marina? An Austin Allegro or a Nissan Cherry? Decisions, decisions..

[@wetlettuce4768]

I may be mistaken but wouldn't the Volvo 244 be in a more expensive segment than the Marina, the Rover P6 might be a better comparison.

[@owensteele1645]

@@wetlettuce4768 P6 was a great car, but sadly at the end of production in 1977. Only other models could've been the SD1 2300, or, don't laugh, a Princess HL or a Maxi...

[@mikeblatzheim2797]

1:45 Uhh, why do they have Germany in it's pre-1938 borders? Surely that map should only show West Germany

[@tygattyche2545]

Interesting sidenote: It is Britain and Europe but not Britain and continental Europe. As if the UK does not want be part of europe. And for me it seems that never changed. Look at the computer industry in that days. Many UK companies like Acorn, Amstrad, Oric and Sinclair and with the exception of Amstrad they all ignored the (continental) european market. They could have been big but they did not wanted to.

[@howardkerr8174]

Reading the comments about poor British reliability, I suddenly remembered that it wasn't just the manufacturers who were responsible for the state of British car quality. I have been a reader of CAR magazine for close to 50 years. Most memorable were the multi-car comparison tests, memorable because in many cases the quirks or faults of British cars rarely hampered their chances of winning the tests. Unless a British car was seriously deficient, it always managed to win....unless the test involved a BMW. CAR rarely included Japanese built cars in their comparison tests, and 1 reason given was that the Japanese did not appreciate the obvious bias of the staff at the magazine. As much as the average British car buyer disliked the " home-built " autos, those of the Japanese were derided as unsuitable for the average British car buyer. But to be fair, the car manufacturers in Britain fell into the same trap car manufacturers in America were in. That is, they looked at what their " domestic market " competition was building/selling, and made products just good enough to compete with the domestic competition.

[@ronmccullock1407]

The reason why the Vauxhall Cavalier was assembled at Antwerp by General Motors was to save costs, at the time Vauxhall were losing millions of pounds a year, and GM did think about closing Vauxhall's two UK factories and moving production elsewhere. The Vauxhall Chevette and Cavalier became big sellers for Vauxhall making Vauxhall into a profitable business so production of the Cavalier was moved to Luton. The coupe and hatchback versions of the Cavalier continued to be assembled at Antwerp along with the Opel Manta and guess what, Vauxhall supplied all the body pressings!

[@andrewhilton8142]

Cavalier and Chevette were basically Opel Kadett and City. My Dad worked for an Opel dealership and did a roaring trade in Opel parts to the Vauxhall dealer who could never get the right spares.

[@ronmccullock1407]

Hilton the Vauxhall Chevette and Opel Kadett were part if the General Motors world car called T car, Vauxhall designed the hatchback version. The Vauxhall Chevette out sold the Opel Kadett. The Mk1 Cavalier was shared with the Opel Ascona design, this was done to save money.

[@basdefantastische]

@@ronmccullock1407 The Chevette outsold the Kadett only in the UK. Vauxhall lost its independence within GM because it had no market share beyond the island - the Vauxhall Firenza debacle in Canada had killed its reputation in its only significant export market. Meanwhile, Opels actually sold. The entire report just showcases the insular nature of the UK car industry, please excuse the pun. Those Japanese cars sold worldwide, as did the Germans. Meanwhile, most of the Allegros built at Seneffe in Belgium were sent right back to Blighty; on the continent, few were interested.

[@ronmccullock1407]

@@basdefantastische Thanks for clarifying

[@ronmccullock1407]

Fantastic

[@clas683]

It was not the fact that only 50% of the brits chose a british car that killed its car industry. It was the fact that only 0,5% of the rest of us europeans sought after a brittish made car in the 70’s & early 80’s.

[@balsabreaker4272]

British car industry had it coming. Striking workforce and crap cars for too long

[@nickdufour1868]

Even back then the Uk failed to see that to survive it needed to do like it;s European rivals and see europe as a whole as there home market cause only then could it hope to survive.

[@AlfaGiuliaQV]

But you never managed to do that, and so it all culminated in Brexit, which throws you back to the 70´s again. Where will you go now? No one knows, you yourselves there in Britain, least of all...

[@dcanmore]

@@AlfaGiuliaQV 'Where will you go now?' it will be the break up of the UK.

[@simonabbott7323]

The Volvo is not on the road. But it lasted the longest. It was registered 7 Sept 76, last log book issued 8 March 94, then it was taxed for 6 months, expiring in 31 August 94.

[@owensteele1645]

Yeah, by the early '90s, any late-'70s cars still running on their own steam were considered £50 to £100 banger transport which this Volvo sadly ended up as. Someone bought it silly-cheap and ragged it around for 6 months before it died.

[@TomK-ti8kp]

Fast forward almost fifty years, and the British car industry is a shadow of its past. Down to a few bespoke sports car manufacturers and Land Rover. Jaguar is on life support and unless they figure out a feasible EV strategy quickly, they too will die. However, that's only one side of the issue. I spent a few years in Britain for my job, from 2018 to 2023, before returning to the US. I saw that with fewer competitors in the market, more British car buyers are becoming priced-out of car ownership nowadays. Japanese cars, whether imported or built in Britain, aren't necessarily cheap cars. Korean cars are only somewhat affordable, but this may not stay the case if material and delivery costs keep increasing. Chinese cars may be cheap to buy, but unreliability becomes a major expense later on. And fuel prices are not going to come down anytime soon. I wonder what will happen to the car-dependent parts of Britain. Sure, London, Edinburgh, and other cities can get away with good public transportation and improved pedestrian infrastructure. But I really doubt the smaller villages and towns can overcome this issue soon

[@manos3790]

Was this review the first use of 'bombshell' in the motoring, journalistic industry? JC rung it out.

[@pit_stop77]

Was a global industry even back then, so what are we going back to??

[@anthonyperkins7556]

The fact was, and is, they are much better than ours.

[@marcogiulivi7595]

8:25 South Korea a third world country.....how times have changed....

[@cableguy786]

Remember keep em peeled

[@fortyfour1654]

Spot anything in Aladdin's Cave?

[@eitanros]

Milton Friedman would be proud of this video.

[@Arltratlo]

in 1977, i been 10 years old.... no English cars driving in my town, here in Germany...some SD1´s showed up just before 1980, and went away soon...but plenty of Japanese, French,Italian, Swedish and even DAF´s....that is a car from the Netherlands! btw: i drive a Hyundai and a Japanese motorbike!

[@darrenwilson8042]

The British press as ever doing down BL as the culprit then asking why BL were foundering....the lack of support in its home market didn't help.

[@DIETRICHCICCONE]

Vexed - not a word one hears that much anymore.

[@starguy321]

They use a map of Germany from the interwar period?

[@saxongreen78]

"Who do you think - You are kidding Mr Hitler?" 😁

[@simonscoggins1154]

No wonder with the crap they were building.

[@colinwatson4172]

Shawn taylor asked what can we do. Strike and then pile-em high and sell them cheap (metro) Shame they didnt realize it was game over already.

[@petrolhead982]

Pre-1939 Germany on the map in th 1976 tv programme.OMG!

[@Keith1]

I had 3/4. Not Fiesta..and of those in my choice 1 Volvo. 2 Chrysler & 3 Cavalier. I did drive a friends Fiesta but not really comparable.

[@mattmiller6857]

3:21 a what load of components!!

[@bokhans]

Jeffrey has the most interesting hairstyle I have seen in a long time. Was it built by a mouse family?

[@ronmccullock1407]

Lol

[@geoffk777]

By 2003, the British car industry had decayed so badly that the only way that Rover could introduce a new subcompact was to have Tatra build it in India (as the CityRover). It was so horrible, that Rover wouldn't even let car journalists review it. It didn't have to be this way. In 1960, Britain led the aerospace and automotive industries with cars like the Austin Mini and Jaguar XK. But terrible build quality and a refusal to update old designs eventually doomed everything.

[@dcanmore]

just to point out it was TATA (who now own Jaguar / Land Rover). Tatra is the Czech truck company.

[@zenbudhism]

Thatcher didn't want to invest in BL or industry ,and sold it to british aerospace, who didn't want to invest. BMW got their fwd and 4x4 technology and got the mini brand.

[@albear972]

That chap on the stairs reminds me of Inspector Gadget.

[@fortyfour1654]

Go go gadget glasses!

[@jb6142]

4:11 who else was waiting for his wig to blow off in the wind?

[@alexger85]

You might wanna update that map...

[@GG-hu9dn]

They all share one commmon value: they where all made on planet - "Earth"! God, how even back then, they where so patriotic and bigoted?!!

[@sandmanjono1239]

The begging of the end for the British motorcar industry ☹️

[@rickerbyct]

The examples shown there where just the tip of the ice berg. By then all Granadas and Capris where built in Germany and the Vauxhall Chevette was effectively a knock down kit. A few years on and British Leyland would only exist by bolting chrome grills and wood effect door cappings to Hondas. Just compare the direction Britains car industry took to Germany or France and we are still arrogant to consider ourselves “great”

[@jamesmiller3142]

Love a mk1 Cavalier

[@mattmiller6857]

Rubbish brother!

[@jamesmiller3142]

@@mattmiller6857 No I'm not

[@orderofmagnitude-TPATP]

Isnt Chrysler American? Or am i missing something? !

[@therealbettyswollocks]

The FT guy made a lot of sense. If we have to rely on patriotism... hold up!

[@fonziebulldog5786]

The sad part is that the British destroyed their own car and motorcykel brands. Yeah, thats sad. 😞

[@1911olympic]

The headquarters of the society of motor manufacturers and traders.... 😂😂😂😂😂 I suppose they have moved to a shed in the back-garden now.

[@spankysmp]

Blimey, a Brexiteers nightmare.

[@odin5188]

Always with the British exceptionalism making "foreign" a derogatory term since day 1. Well it aint the foreigners wot done it guv. The British i guess prefer reliable to well... you know how the story went and still goes today The market and demand speaks at the end of the day, a painful lesson us here in ye'ol blighty will learn this coming year

[@colindowd9756]

Who the hell is this guy basically answering Geoffrey Owens questions... I mean, why bother asking if he's so knowledgeable....

[@ardennite1]

He’s researched. As a reporter/presenter, it’s his job to be knowledgeable. Shaw Taylor - a real professional.

[@Nortekman]

This is what capitalism does, it makes countries rich. Then the countries who were persuading those poor countries to become capitalist, are now bitching that these newly rich countries are taking jobs and industry from them.

[@maipiumichinai]

ahaah Look at the map of Germany, with pre WW2 borders...

[@PhobosMD]

1:46 Wait a minute... Do they really draw the German Borderlines from 1937??? Well that is...odd, I think :-D

[@craigkleber9316]

Shaw Taylor looks a little bit like Peter Sellers

[@Timico1000]

Is that Austin Powers dad?

[@cristinacrisu5445]

Or Mr. Bean.

[@robertmarsh3588]

It was indeed fatal for British Leyland.

[@perrymason8670]

Very prescient.

[@minidriversouthsweden5137]

Nowadays the companies send the manufacturing to countries like China or other countries with cheap labour.

[@robv1139]

Lesson 1........if you keep going out on strike, someone else will do your job for you...and will probably continue to do it quite happily.

[@cristinacrisu5445]

And the Opel go to Peugeot.

[@gbyrne]

As a kid growing up during the 70s ,BL cars were ugly outdated rubbish compared to the fords ,vauxalls vw,s audis of the time.

[@Dr.D00p]

'Korea..and other Third World countries' You have to laugh at the stuff you could get away with in the 70's.

[@insertnamehere5146]

South Korea was a 3rd world country in the 70s North Korea still is 3rd world and relies on China for food

[@xsduprwd3937]

@@insertnamehere5146 yes but you can't 'say' that now. It might offend someone.

[@GaryJohnWalker1]

@@xsduprwd3937 'developing' nowadays of course, tho first world - as in problems - is still acceptable. But, on the video, it's surprising that actually Korean cars and many other goods were slow to catch on in Europe compared to the meteoric rise of Japanese imports 5 or 10 years earlier.

[@CaptHollister]

@@GaryJohnWalker1 The earliest Hyundais, the Pony and the Stellar, arrived in Canada a couple of years after this video was made and sold in large number because they were a great deal. The Stellar was absolutely loaded to the gills with standard features for which everyone else charged extra. The Pony was cheap, basic transportation, very comparable to the Chevy Chevette, except it was cheaper and better in almost every way. Both models were mediocre cars, but fantastic value for money. Unfortunately, the next model, the Excel, which was also the first Hyundai sold in the US, was an unreliable, rusting, crappy car.

[@EgoShredder]

@@xsduprwd3937 People do not like the truth, and prefer to be lied to as it feels more cuddly and "nice".

[@paulbroderick8438]

God, the uppity arrogant accents of these people is unbelievable. I bought a Honda Civic Del Sol new in 1993 and still drive. it. Greetings from a Brit residing in the USA.

[@vangestelwijnen]

I hate to say it, but the British cars could have been so much better...

[@raycroal]

back when gerry built meant it was shit for the ww2 vets,the power of propoganda

[@Rori1987]

Fords US, Chryslers US, Vauxhalls German, Volvos Swedish, none of those cars are British.