MG Midget Forum

Nice article about EX234 and historical ramblings on MG, Bs and Midgets

https://www.classicandsportscar.com/features/mg-ex234-sports-car-couldve-saved-its-maker?utm_source=sfmc&utm_term=StoryTwo&utm_content=224982&utm_id=bb8626e4-c0b3-445b-bc81-d57589663947&sfmc_id=92482730&sfmc_activityid=448ff635-9759-4da7-859a-de07c53dfe2a&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_17_04_2024&sfmc_journey_id=bb8626e4-c0b3-445b-bc81-d57589663947&sfmc_journey_name=SC%20CnEwe%20suBllteni(%20710..40242)&sfmc_activity_id=448ff635-9759-4da7-859a-de07c53dfe2a&sfmc_activity_name=&CCSE%20enswB%20luelit%20n1(.7402.20)4&sfmc_asset_id=224982&sfmc_channel=email

Politics and a great many other things sabotaged the Brit motor industry but I feel one that is never mentioned is the games played with international currency's. Personally, I think that a bit of diplomacy with Italy's Innocenti should have been worked on for the Midget and a visit Jaguar at Coventry for a 4 cylinder XK engine might have been a good idea for the MGB.

Anyway, I love the history....

Kurt

https://collectingcars.com/for-sale/1968-innocenti-c

The British auto (and motorcycle) industry: where labor strife, poor senior management, weak middle management, terribly timed recessions and currency fluctuations all combined into a perfect storm to prevent replacing what were revolutionary products at the beginning of the '60s and caused them instead to become sad anachronisms by the end of the '70s, and oblivion.


Interestingly, their UK competitors faced the same challenges but came out of the '70s stronger than ever. Ford and Vauxhall had better management, better labor relations, and they all took turns for who was introducing the best technology at various points. F & V had deeper (international) pockets which certainly helped, but at key points BMC had had lots of cash too (though during hard times F & V could call on funding from overseas branches).
Good senior management invests in the right things, bad wastes opportunities, tragically.

The board of directors, who decide what to invest in, and when, in UK firms tended to be highly educated in ancient Greek, religion and history but more or less ignorant of business matters, or engineering (in the UK, an "engineer" means a dirty mechanic, the exact opposite of US or German meaning, so the board had little reason to be interested in what their engineers were saying).

True, Norm, but there was more yet at play. In the early 1970's a good friend of mine bought a Datsun pickup being sold for $1900. No matter what the British car industry could have done they couldn't have competed with that. Currency games?????

Kurt

Developing countries tend to have undervalued currency, helping them to get ahead. Japan definitely fell into that category in the '50, '60s and even into the '70s.

Unfortunately, the UK, which was considered a major economy all that time was actually in free fall from WWII debt and simultaneously deconstructing their empire/colonies. During that time the GBP was still very high value, which as you pointed out sure didn't help their manufacturing trying to export.

You’ve not mentioned that that Datsun pickup and subsequent Japanese products were also well made, dependable, long lived products as well as being well priced.
While the same could not be said of British and American cars of the 70s.

Kurt. Sent you an unrelated PM

Norm:
I'm afraid we are in the same boat as England was. Strong dollar means we export nothing and import everything.

Layne:
Yes those Japanese vehicles were top notch. Maybe not at first but the cheap factor still sold them. That first Datsun pickup had suspention problems but the 620 that followed it was a great pickup. I used up three of them and still have one. Couldn't wear them out but with our salt they just rotted away beneath me.

Kurt