[Mgs] THEY GOT IT RIGHT! and trivia quiz

[Jack Feldman]

Just finished rereading ASPECTS OF ABINGDON, by Ken Smith. In the revised
edition he doesn't use a pseudonym.

It was almost like being part of the factory, although it was helped by
sharing  the, perhaps, not so unique experience of also working in a factory
where we were family.

Most importantly it brings home how unique our MGs are. Over 500,000 B;s
were made, and they did it so well that the MG brand is still revered today.
Ken mentions how the factory was ahead of its time. Seems the Japanese
reinvend the concept of teams, and the idea that the car wouldn't move
forward unless everything was OK. The design was so modern that our cars
still look contemporary. When I drive my Healey, it is recognized as an
antique. I rarely get that comment about the B.

One chapter talks bout quality. I have two sources that praise the quality
of the cars manufacture at Abingdon. In his bookGeoff Healey wasn't too
happy to hear that Healey manufacturing was going to be shifted to Abingdon,
but he discovered the quality of the cars coming off the line, and praises
the plant for its outstanding work.

In THE DECLINE OF THE BRITISH CAR INDUSTRY, the author compares the output
of Longbridge with Abingdon. Longbridge was ahead in quantity, but Abingdon
was far ahead in quality.

Now for the trivia. The book mentions the "Sabrina" block bumpers on the
741/2 models. I assume they never reached our shores because we got those
large rubber bumpers. OK folks. How did those block bumpers (actually the
over riders), get their name?

We should read this book over and over again. It just reinforces the
greatness of the MG marque.

Jack