Rick, John
You guy's are preaching to the choir. If the people on this list did not
love and appreciate British cars we would not be on this list. People like
John McEwen obviously don't appreciate LBC's for what they are.
Larry Miller
-----Original Message-----
From: Rick Feibusch <rfeibusch@loop.com>
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Date: Tuesday, August 11, 1998 10:36 AM
Subject: Britiron
>Date: Tue, 11 Aug 1998 12:25:10 -0400
>From: John Brigden <JohnBrigden@compuserve.com>
>Subject: Britiron
>Sender: John Brigden <JohnBrigden@compuserve.com>
>To: Rick Feibusch <rfeibusch@loop.com>
>Rick,
>
>Most of what is on the emails is correct - both sides, but one has to put
>in all in context. After the war Britain was financially crippled and it
>was a case of export or die. We probably owned more than the gross national
>product to the USA and we were not given any recompense by France, Germany,
>Italy or Japan. I include France in this list of enemies for old times
>sakes. After all we bailed them out twice within 50 years and they still
>think they are superior, just because they eat lots of cheese and make
>mediocre wine, have questionable eating habits and are live in a great part
>of the world.
>
>Remember also that it was the British Army which restarted VW after the
>war. The Army got on well wit teh Germans who took orders and knuckled
>down. Back home, civilian life was changing rapidly with MOST of the young
>male population now coming home.
>
>When Austin and Morris combined to make BMC (April 1 1952 I think it was -
>this proves that the Brits in those days did have a sense of hunour) it
>made the 4th largest car company in the world and the worlds biggest
>exporters. New model development was staggering, even by today's standards
>in Japan, as they sought went for market niches all over the world.
>
>Meanwhile the Japs were busy copying everything in sight, spending nothing
>on R&D and design, but everything on quality. Britain meanwhile had rampant
>inflation. I believe this must have been beacause we had bought from the US
>in £'s and the quickest way to pay off the debt was via inflation.
>
>Looking from the US you must also remind yourselves that the UK is a minute
>market - and it cannot sustain an indiginous car manufacturing industry on
>its own.
>
>To answer specifics such as Farina vs Vauxhall vs Ford, I don't recognise
>the conclusion. The Vauxhall was dreadful, the Ford boring and the Farina
>better looking, reliable, comfortable and strong. It's no accident that
>they were (still are) popular with banger racers. These are people who know
>a good car when they crash one. Jaguars fall into the same class, but
>American cars don't. They might have been big, comfortable like an arm
>chair not a car, of interesting design, and had a few extras but they don't
>stand up to a Jaguar in the ring!
>
>I can go on and on but think John McEwen needs to write from objectivity
>not from his bunker. American cars were different but just as bad. It took
>the Japanese and the Germans to show us both about car manufacturer, brands
>and marketing.
>
>Britain is a nett contributor in the world of cars, as is the US, you just
>have a vast home market.
>
>Don't get me wrong, I love going to the States, but as the inventors of
>junk food I don't think you are in a position to complain about no air con
>in a British car.
>
>John Brigden
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