On Monday 18 December 2006 05:54 pm, jar@aldermanroad.net wrote:
> All this talk of the connections between the Miata and other Japanese
> sports cars and British sports cars tells me that what I have felt for
> many years is true. The management of the British car industry is
> pretty poor. As an American management team concluded a number or years
> ago in re. the British motorcycle industry, which likewise went to the
> Japanese: management gets the labor it deserves.
>
> Clearly the British engineers and automotive designers were on top of
> their game, but management failed to follow.
>
> Is there a message in this for America?
>
> Cheers.
All,
This is very true and the evidence can be viewed in a recent post. The 2007
Triumph Calendar candidates. How could a company that produces such beautiful
cars go belly up?
But the reason for the demise of Triumph cannot be blamed on just management.
I guess it started there but other parts must share some of the blame, Govt,
Unions, individual employees.
My uncle worked for a steel company located somewhere in Birmingham/Coventry
but the company went belly up years ago (late 70's I believe). He blamed it
on the Unions, but then he was in management. I guess if you asked a union
employee of that company, he would have blamed it on management.
And was there a level playing field?
To be honest, I dont know how Triumph Motorcycles of Hinkley or any large
British manufacturing company can compete on a world market. The taxes just
have to be killing their profit margin. I know the owner invests alot of his
own $, but how long can that last? For a company to survive and compete,
profits must be invested into new products etc. Without that investement,
there are no new products.
Can some of our British members chime in here? How do major GB corporations
survive and compete in a global market today?
Over the years, GB has lost Triumph cars and bikes, Norton bikes, BSA bikes,
MG (lost, revived and lost again), The Mini to BMW, AH, Jaguar to Ford, even
Rolls to VW. What is next Morgan being sold to BMW?
I for one am glad that Triumph Motorcycles was re-born and producing the
quality british iron it produces. I only hope they can continue to thrive for
the long haul.
Bob
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