LTI sold to Chinese firm Geely for £11.4m

[Wilko220]

Saved for now, it would seem. Doesn't appear they're going to do a Nanjing...

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-co ... e-21290935

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

That is good news. All they need to do now is put an exact copy of the FX4 back into production (with the pre '68 small tail lights) with modern running gear and sell it all over the world as The London Taxi. I reckon it would sell well.

[Spiny Norman]

That is good news. All they need to do now is put an exact copy of the FX4 back into production (with the pre '68 small tail lights) with modern running gear and sell it all over the world as The London Taxi. I reckon it would sell well.

 

What it really wants is a nice clattery old Land Rover Diseasel lump for that authentic, "Nah mate, no way I'm goin sarf at this time of night, you 'avin a giraffe? " experience.

'Bunny ears' indicators on the roof too, please.

[Tayne]

.

[AnthonyG]

As good news as can be expected after they went tits up last autumn. They were involved before so hopefully they can punt up the investment needed to compete with all the MPV designs out there. Or, as RevBJ said, sod all that and just go for the retro look. I'm sure a busmaking company anywhere in the world would pay £11m (which is really f**k all in the world of global business) for the IPR for the Routemaster, a similar London icon.

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

The London Taxi - Next Generation is here!

 

[Rocket88]

Do we think Geely might suddenly find a stock of working steering boxes.

 

Brilliant. Bankrupt the company by selling them a load of dodgy steering boxes, then buy up the remains.........correct me if I'm wrong, but I suspect that Black cabs where exempt from normal EU crash testing and other safety requirements, if so, fuck knows what Geely are going to codge up and call it a "taxi".

[wuvvum]

I'm sure a busmaking company anywhere in the world would pay £11m (which is really f**k all in the world of global business) for the IPR for the Routemaster, a similar London icon.

There's a Chinese company that already makes a rip-off of the Routemaster, for the city of Skopje in Macedonia.

 

[FredTransit]

Do we think Geely might suddenly find a stock of working steering boxes.

 

Brilliant. Bankrupt the company by selling them a load of dodgy steering boxes, then buy up the remains.........correct me if I'm wrong, but I suspect that Black cabs where exempt from normal EU crash testing and other safety requirements, if so, fuck knows what Geely are going to codge up and call it a "taxi".

 

beat me to it! What they said!!

[Junkman]

I was actually quite happy when Manganese Bronze went belly-up. There was the chance Britain will finally import proper cars for taxi use. Alas.

But I guess that's only me again.

[Wilko220]

I was actually quite happy when Manganese Bronze went belly-up. There was the chance Britain will finally import proper cars for taxi use. Alas.

But I guess that's only me again.

 

Yes, always great news for a country with high unemployment to export as many jobs as possible...

 

What would be your import suggestion for the UK taxi market then? I only know of the Mercedes, which I've not driven but is certainly a pretty rubbish experience for the passenger.

[AnthonyG]

In Birmingham they all seem to be Fiat/Peugeot/Citroen MPVs with wheelchair ramps - called Eurotaxis, as always following the rule that anything with the word 'Euro' in front is utter shit - see EuroCargo, Eurovision, etc.

[Wilko220]

In Birmingham they all seem to be Fiat/Peugeot/Citroen MPVs with wheelchair ramps - called Eurotaxis, as always following the rule that anything with the word 'Euro' in front is utter shit - see EuroCargo, Eurovision, etc.

 

Same around here - but they're minicabs. I don't think they meet the criteria (turning circle, etc) to be used as Hackney Carriages. The Merc Vito conversion does.

[brickwall]

I was led to believe that the taxis were assembled here, but manufactured in China land. Can someone confirm this?

[Junkman]

 

Yes, always great news for a country with high unemployment to export as many jobs as possible...

 

 

There are lots more people employed in Britain driving and maintaining taxis than building them. If you start saving every 100 jobs with 11.4 million, you will end up so broke that you can't afford a bag of Bull Durham.

 

 

What would be your import suggestion for the UK taxi market then? I only know of the Mercedes, which I've not driven but is certainly a pretty rubbish experience for the passenger.

 

Thankfully, I know a few more car makers than Mercedes, a few of them even operating at a profit, believe it or not.

I visited the LTI website when the steering rack debacle happened. When I saw that one of these contraptions sets you back 32k in base configuration, I fell flat on me arse.

[Wilko220]

Thankfully, I know a few more car makers than Mercedes, a few of them even operating at a profit, believe it or not.

 

I'm sure you do. I thought we were talking specifically about taxis?