And well here we are today, the chinese are still using the MG logo for their cars, and where I live those so called MG´s have become a lviing meme because of their lousy build quality...
Now just a memory. Had Blair and his daft government given BMW the investment they asked for, as afterall every other country invests in its national motor sector, BMW would have broight the new small Rover to market, and perhaps it would have kept the company alive.
And what about the role of BMW? Rover wanted to design a sporty Rover 75, but BMW wanted them to do a retro 75. It didn‘t work for Jaguar with the S-Type, nor for VW with the Beetle and do you remember the PT Cruiser? Very helpful by BMW was the statement of their CEO when the car was launched at the Motor Show!
They had the chance to just save the MG marque just before the Phoenix Four took over. Would have meant job losses then, however it may well have been a success
The intentions of the Phoenix Five were good, but instead of investing in new cars, they squandered it all on racing and refused offers of cash to keep the company going, which is stupid beyond extreme, and they plundered the companies pension scheme, gave the Chinese the property and design rights to Rover's car line-up and walked away victorious!
Mid 90s were the last point Rover could have turned it around. BMW had a solid plan for the 55, 35, crossover etc. But it just couldn't work out. After that, game was up. I do wonder if Alchamy could have made a good go of it with MG but I know they couldn't quite find the finance.
It always looked to me as though the rover 75 was developed especially for old men. Granted the retro new mini and new beetle were doing well, Chrysler made the PT cruiser (admittedly looked like a hearse especially if you had it in a dark colour) and the rolls silver seraph was effectively an updated silver shadow was out so harking back to the past was not unique but somehow the rover 75, like nearly all the BL products before it (maestro/montego, allegro, maxi etc) missed the mark. It also had to contend with the terrible reputation earned by those preceding cars. The retro styled jag x type, s type and XJ of the era missed the mark too and jag wouldn’t be around now if they hadn’t changed tack and brought out the xf when they did to set the stall out for the future, if only rover could’ve realised that at some point.
No no no . The boys from Brittain did the trick , with a little aid of the Bavarians .! Did the Bavarians anything for the P4 P6 and the Majestic P5 ? Don't downplay yourself dear Britts ! I am the proud owner of a 2000 Cowley built 75 1.8 Connoseur for 5 years now , and love it to bits . I will keep this Britt Beauty as long as possible .
All the phoenix four did was bankroll the company by selling off all the companies assets. It’s like burning everything in your house to keep warm! Only works until the assets run out. People who said the government should’ve nationalised the company, what was there left to nationalise. Big shame.
My first car was a Rover 75 - not one of those talked about here but a 1950 P4 model. It was a car of very high quality, conservative in its engineering but superb in its construction. That quality continued through the P5 and P6 models. I bought a P6 3500 model and was very pleased with it. Then came the SD1 model - my mother bought one on the strength of my experience. It was an appalling car, very poorly put together - for example, a sun visor fell off as my mother drove it home from the dealer. Her experience was not unique and by the time of the Honda Legend/Rover Vitesse model, the reputation of Rover was such that it was well and truly outsold by the Honda. Rovers then disappeared from the market here until the new 75 was introduced. Some neighbours bought one and their experience was as bad as my mother's some 30 years earlier. They were not alone and Rover very quickly went from the market here, with no attempt at a further revival.
RIP Vangelis...the music used in the Brand Values update is called "Conquest Of Paradise" It was the soundtrack from Ridley Scott's 1992 film 1492: Conquest of Paradise ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-8bvNdNzeBsE.html
Would have been better to let it go to the wall in 2000- someone may have taken over part of the business and made It viable, the workers may have gotten proper redundancy
Having had so called wonderful German cars in the past I still own and drive a 22 year old 75 and absolutely love it …. The best of British motoring 🏴
I didn't like the themes of ANY of these adverts. Here's what I think they ought to have done instead: Played a slow rendition of Ralph Vaughan Williams' Greensleeves, focusing the attention on a pond with water lilies, which open up to reveal the birth of a new Rover 75. It could even be a painting of a pond, but has that lovely harp and violin combination playing to accompany its presentation [to the viewer] instead. The 75(s) could "dance" on the waters of the pond, which could line up several lily pads to which the car could drive along, and eventually leave the pond and become a "land" creature instead. The car could drive out of the picture, just leaving the water lilies shown ready to bloom and produce more 75s. During the car's performance on the lake, that would be the time to show it's beautiful interior, handsome appearance, and agile dynamics. The themes of these presented adverts NEVER ONCE appealed to me - it's as though a marketing team were trying to be deliberately brash and tacky to make the car "appealing" to younger buyers. The "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" advert was especially elaborate in this regard... It was downplaying the car's elegance and status of what its appearance suggested - wealth, sophistication - everything to just annoy the watching viewer who had no idea how to take what they've been shown. It should've presented dignified gentlemen, who wanted to offer a lady safe, elegant transport away from - say - an upsetting encounter. Here's how I'd present the car to a "younger" customer: By showcasing it's strength, vitality, "conscientiousness" towards its young owner... Offering a tangible asset that is as of a loyal, warm butler - one that will simply be there to use when - say - you've had a relationship break up, or when you've got to get somewhere to meet someone but "things have been difficult" at home, for example... Really was no sense in doing something to denigrate the car to begin with.
Tel me : why has a Mercedec C class in Elegance guise acres of lether and even wood ? Why does a Toyota Avensis have acres of lether and , yes you gessed , wood ? What is the problem ? James May ownes a Rolls Shadow with , Yes here we are again , lether and wood ! What a hypocrit ! I am a Dutchman , and the very proud owner of a 75 connoseur , and yes , i LOVE it ! Extremely reliable , great comfort , rustfree after 21 years . Topgear DROP DEAD . ,
