|
VW was offered as a job lot to BMC after the war - they apparently turned it down on the basis that the Beetle would never sell.
|
VW was offered as a job lot to BMC after the war - they apparently turned it down on the basis that the Beetle would never sell.
Someone should be along in a moment to blame Red Robbo and the unions...;)
|
let me jump in quickly then and blame abysmal short term management.
//steps back to allow the DM readers a clear run..
|
|
|
|
I'm not so sure. For example, take the shoe industry. Without question some of the finest shoes and leathergoods originated in Britain. that industry has been decimated by foreign competition. The original imports were no cheaper and in many cases inferior quality but the british public bought them anyway. There is still in many european countries a concious pride in being a retailer or wearer of domestically produced footwear.
Cheap imports of course abound now in all markets but there is still an attitude in Germany that if you want a decent pair of shoes then buy German ones. You can see the same support of locally produced product clearly in Italy, Spain and France.
In Britain, apart from the very top end of the men's market, there is no general desire to buy British product. At one level price is the only deciding factor and at the premium end of the market is closely followed by label / brand allegiences which have little to commend them in reality.
In this sector the Brits wouldn't recognise quality if it bit them on the backside.
Maybe, the car industry was also less supported here than it was in other countries, I mean you could hardly argue that an Mk 1 Beetle was a superior product to a contemporary British car. Or that 60s and 70s Citroens, Renaults, etc were far better
than anything we had. As someone said above, if it was all down to practicalities, how do you explain the Italian loyalty to Italian cars ?
|
|
Because they have a magic soul (or sole if you mean shoes !) That little Alfa I saw screamed "Buy Me" when I saw it parked at the kerbside, even the Teutonic Mrs P was moved for second, It oozed desire in no way that any other automotive product in its price range can - heavens I cold get a properly sorted 3 series mile muncher for that price - but could it ooze the same appeal. Cue NowWheels.
|
Playing the Alfa card is below the belt PU. No one can argue with that !.........
;-)
|
Reading the replies above it strikes me everyone is assuming a level playing field.
Having lived in other countries over the past ten years including those mentioned above, local products enjoy a more level field than imported goods.
Try buying goods from other countries. Yes you can get them but you will pay for them.
|
|
|
|
Because they have a magic soul
Alfas might have, but even in Italy these are a small proportion of sales, and not enough to keep their industry afloat.
Most of them drive around in Italian superminis, and I'm sorry but I don't care what people say, a Fiat Punto has no more soul than a Proton Savvy. Horrible little tinny things.
|
|
|
Because they have a magic soul (or sole if you mean shoes !) That little Alfa
...oozed desire
...
>>. Cue NowWheels.
I guess that Mrs PU can at least console herself by knowing even if she isn't the one to set your heart racing, at least your wandering eye lands on wheeled boxes rather than on teenage stick insects.
|
|
|
|
In this sector the Brits wouldn't recognise quality if it bit them on the backside.
I would cries the small voice from Northants appropriately, and i will not wear anything foreign, my favourites are my Dundee boots by Sargeants, they would laugh at a nuclear holocaust, usually worn with a stout Harris tweed jacket and waistcoat.
As for middle aged men wearing white trainers and jogging bottoms...just don't go there.
And i still have a yearning for a P5 coupe.
|
A P5 coupe GB ? .....Nice.
I really want a Volvo Amazon estate. Don't know why, but I do....
and an Alfa "Graduate" Spider, a MK2 Jag, a DB5 and....................
;-)
|
|
|
|
I've just bought a pair of Alt Berg boots for my biking holiday next year. They were ordered in July and won;t be delivered before next month. Despite the name these are made in North Yorkshire, and are being built to order - they're going to cost me the princely sum of £126.00. For what is a hand made boot of some repute its quite cheap. Why such a delay though ?
|
|
|
I would cries the small voice from Northants appropriately and i will not wear anything foreign my favourites are my Dundee boots by Sargeants ..........
You're not alone. I have all-leather shoes made by Alfred Seargeant, Grenson, Church's etc.
Edited by L'escargot on 15/09/2008 at 08:02
|
But aren't more cars made here than ever before - read somewhere it was 1.6 million in 2006.
Unfortunately not, we assemble cars made from imported kits so as to take tax advantages all the heavy engineering that makes the components is mostly in other lands,Wast not Toyota who actually do not use one British component in the UK plant.
|
I am sorry to say that, as a person on a virtually fixed income but living in an economy with inflation near 10%, I have to buy what is cheaper and not what is British and/or better. Thus, trousers in M&S for £9.50, 7 pairs of socks for £5 at Sainsburys and more shopping in Aldi and Lidl. Not going for the sympathy vote - just stating the realities for OAPs.
|
Quite so AS and certainly no criticism from me for that strategy.
No, all I was musing about was that here and now in 2008, it would seem that certain nationalities still conciously support their local industries. The example I gave of the German cars in the OP being just the trigger for the thought. I guess I was wondering why they seem to think like that about most of their purchases when there are so many good alternatives and we simply don't.
|
HB - no offence intended or taken. I do agree with the point made that people percieve Vauxhall and Ford as 'British' and that Honda, Toyota and Nissan are built in UK but are thought of as foreign. Somebody said that one of these manufacturers uses zero Britih sourced content, can that really be true? Surley some of it comes from UK? There is a huge factory in North Wales that makes interior moulding like dashboards; I would have thought these were used in cars built in UK but perhaps not?
|
I would like to see those car manufacturers who use British components or assembly plants making much more of that aspect of their businesses in their marketing.
It might just trigger a positive reaction from some people. The mistakes of the past, whoever you care to blame, are done, dusted and history. Making the most of what we have now or indeed that which we aspire to have is vital to our future economic stability.
Not wishing to encourage jingoism or anything but a restoration of an amount of attitude of common purpose and responsibility can't hurt can it ?
Well, I can dream.......
|
>>I would like to see those car manufacturers who use British components or assembly plants making much more of that aspect of their businesses in their marketing.
If I were in a position to do something about your suggestion, I don't think I would rush in.
Yes, there will be people who would rally round, but here will also be people who would be put off, those who were wanting Japanese quality for example. I think marketing the Britishness of something, especially a car, alas, is not entirely positive.
Although Vauxhall aren't British, at least they do have factories here - as do Ford, who also have technical centres which employ proper engineers, doing proper design and development work.
|
With apologies to whoever first came up with this, there was something doing the rounds a while back which went something like this.......
I'm proud to be British.......
We drive Japanese cars
We eat Indian food
We drink German beer and French wine
We go on holiday to Spain and America
We work for German companies
We watch Japanese TVs
We use American computer programs
We wear Chinese shoes and Malaysian clothes
We eat Austalian beef and New Zealand Lamb
etc etc.........
It's good to be British......
;-)
|
|
|
|
|
|
