Walter White Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 6 minutes ago, ETCHY said: That Chris Cowin book looks interesting . Not seen that before. It is an informative read, I would recommend it. It does read like the write up of a very well researched project. Having read other books on British Leyland reading this one really helps, IMO. lesapandre and ETCHY 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorfolkNWeigh Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 1 hour ago, lesapandre said: They seemed to have all the ingredients but not make it. But the one thing Donald Stokes was right about was the need to boost exports. That way you could really pump up sales, profits and offset development costs. The original F-Series Victor sold 390,000 cars in four years of which I think 70% were exported for example. Donald Stokes failed alas to sell cars particularly desirable worldwide - I am not aware how many Princess for example were sold into Europe - whereas the UK was hoovering up Golfs & Passats etc. However few Princesses were sold in Europe it would have been more than Ambassadors which were only produced in RHD for the UK market, why waste money pretending to have export aspirations? Pity they didn't do the same with the Sterling. egg and Timewaster 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ETCHY Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 19 minutes ago, NorfolkNWeigh said: However few Princesses were sold in Europe it would have been more than Ambassadors which were only produced in RHD for the UK market, why waste money pretending to have export aspirations? Pity they didn't do the same with the Sterling. Oh wow yeah I forgot about Ambassadors being RHD only. That really is mental isn't it !? lesapandre and Timewaster 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lesapandre Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 Yes considering what it must have cost to change Princess to Ambassador. Seems an odd decision all round -Y Reg? ETCHY and Timewaster 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirton Posted January 17, 2020 Share Posted January 17, 2020 Morrisons Exeter yesterday. Looked in fine condition egg, keef, Sudsprint and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keef Posted January 17, 2020 Author Share Posted January 17, 2020 24 minutes ago, kirton said: Morrisons Exeter yesterday. Looked in fine condition http://www.classiccar-photos.net/picture/show/17542/Maxi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ETCHY Posted January 17, 2020 Share Posted January 17, 2020 4 hours ago, kirton said: Morrisons Exeter yesterday. Looked in fine condition Very nice, complete with late 70's /80's glass sunroof ! Looks better than the German crap next to it. The Mighty Quinn 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigstraight6 Posted January 17, 2020 Share Posted January 17, 2020 3 hours ago, ETCHY said: Very nice, complete with late 70's /80's glass sunroof ! Looks better than the German crap next to it. It certainly does, clean uncomplicated lines unlike whatever that monstrosity next to it is. The Maxi could well be more spacious inside to... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ETCHY Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 10 hours ago, bigstraight6 said: It certainly does, clean uncomplicated lines unlike whatever that monstrosity next to it is. The Maxi could well be more spacious inside to... I dunno what it is with BMW these days but they're making the grille look like somebody who lives in Royston Vasey . A local car for local people.. Asimo and bigstraight6 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lesapandre Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 ETCHY, Craig the Princess, Asimo and 5 others 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lesapandre Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 But...it was the catnip that led people to say never again would they buy BL. It was a cynical bitsa at a time when demand for cars was high. It was pretty awful compared to the competition and never spawned a successor. I remember them new - owners were considered to be plonkers. Everyone else wanted an Escort, Cortina or even Chevette or Mini Clubman. Which is now reflected in current values too. Morris Dealers got the Minor and 1100 - both fantastic innovative cars. Then they had to sell Marina. The press launch was a disaster. Sure they sold - cheap, cheerful and available at a local dealer - but no love there. Whereas the Escort was THE car. XL, GXL, Mexico Ghia etc. Ford also outmanouvered BL on size - Escort hardly much smaller, Cortina bigger and more prestige. An interesting motoring curiosity but not much more really. They deserve to be cherished tho - it's part of it's era - but if you think about it not much more advanced than the 1952 Austin A30! The Mk2 has a radio facing away from the driver - wonder what they were smoking that day? More of the sad tale here: https://www.curbsideclassic.com/uncategorized/carshow-classic-1973-morris-marina-coupe-1-8tc-is-this-the-best-we-can-do/ But the existing Marinas deserve to survive. I'm knocking it but with lots of love. Poor old Leyland they were really out of their depth and I suppose thought they were doing the right thing. I wonder what the net and gross profit was per car compared to a Cortina. That was the crunch. Probably given their overheads not comparable. The Mighty Quinn, ETCHY and egg 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cavcraft Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 Have you had this one yet, Keef? Daws Dawson, 'CLASSIC CARS / VEHICLES FOR SALE UK (NO PARTS) 95 or older' Facebook. He's after £2,750 for it. Sudsprint 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ETCHY Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 2 hours ago, Cavcraft said: Have you had this one yet, Keef? Daws Dawson, 'CLASSIC CARS / VEHICLES FOR SALE UK (NO PARTS) 95 or older' Facebook. He's after £2,750 for it. Great reg & a great colour. That's a very good looking Maxi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keef Posted January 21, 2020 Author Share Posted January 21, 2020 2 hours ago, Cavcraft said: Have you had this one yet, Keef? Yes, thanks. Cavcraft and Sudsprint 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
406V6 Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 On 1/13/2020 at 6:45 PM, Walter White said: I too have thought about where it all went wrong for BMC, BLMC, British Leyland and Austin Rover. Reading the Chris Cowin book provided plenty of insight. ....... I've got the Cowin book and would only recommend it with caution. I've already got a shelf full of car books, many dealing with British Leyland and its previous companies. I didn't learn anything new from the Cowin book. If you don't have many other car books, fine, you'll probably learn a lot from it. If you have got other car books, don't bother. On the other hand the Barney Sherratt book about The Austin is brilliant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keef Posted January 21, 2020 Author Share Posted January 21, 2020 Just found this on another thread. This thread was meant to be about the Maxi, but a lot seem to want to turn it into something else. Please start your own thread if you want to talk about the downfall of BL or similar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keef Posted January 22, 2020 Author Share Posted January 22, 2020 And another. :- Not sure if you can tell the thread and contributer from the url on these? Austat and Sudsprint 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ETCHY Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 On 3/25/2019 at 8:20 PM, BL Bloke said: A couple years ago I sold my 1969 Maxi to a member of the Austin Maxi Club after it had been sitting in a council lock up for nearly 20 years. The colour is Porcelain Green. DSCF8325 by timothy jones, on Flickr DSCF8327 by timothy jones, on Flickr DSCF8328 by timothy jones, on Flickr DSCF8330 by timothy jones, on Flickr I have owned 4 other Maxis in the past, when I find photos I'll post them too. I was just looking back through this thread & spotted this one. It's the absolute spitting image of the one my neighbours had when I was a kid. Theirs had a silvery grey dashboard though & I can't make out if the one above is or not. It can't be my neighbours car though as that went to the scrapper sadly (gearbox failed). I do like that colour & that grille really does make them look so different somehow. Sudsprint 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omegod Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 We had a near luminous yellow/green Maxi 1750 which I remember well, has anyone ever done a nutty engine transplant on one of these? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeeExEll Posted January 24, 2020 Share Posted January 24, 2020 The morning after 'Friday-Night-All-You-Can-Eat-For £8' at 'The Vindaloo Curry Lounge', and Bob just had to let off a lonnnngg loud ripper right there in the spacious Maxi. Couldn't keep it in. Maxi looks like it's about to be sick. It was Russet brown earlier. Sudsprint, High Jetter, BL Bloke and 5 others 4 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keef Posted January 24, 2020 Author Share Posted January 24, 2020 14 minutes ago, JeeExEll said: The morning after 'Friday-Night-All-You-Can-Eat-For £8' at 'The Vindaloo Curry Lounge', and Bob just had to let off a long loud ripper right there in the spacious Maxi. Couldn't keep it in. Maxi looks like it's about to be sick. It was Russet brown earlier. And Bob's pants were white. Shoestring was a good TV series. https://www.imcdb.org/v541549.html Sudsprint and JeeExEll 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High Jetter Posted January 24, 2020 Share Posted January 24, 2020 Yeah, shame it was done on such a small budget though... twosmoke300, martc, Vince70 and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ETCHY Posted January 25, 2020 Share Posted January 25, 2020 Sudsprint 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bunglebus Posted January 25, 2020 Share Posted January 25, 2020 Internet Movie Car Database has a few Maxis including Loads more here Retr0naut, ETCHY, JeeExEll and 5 others 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keef Posted January 27, 2020 Author Share Posted January 27, 2020 MGL 799X ✗ Untaxed Tax due: 1 January 2001 Incorrect tax status? MOT No details held by DVLA Incorrect MOT status? bunglebus and Sudsprint 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ETCHY Posted January 27, 2020 Share Posted January 27, 2020 Shame, I hate seeing cars like that. The front wheel angle doesn't look too good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ETCHY Posted January 27, 2020 Share Posted January 27, 2020 On 1/25/2020 at 10:19 PM, bunglebus said: Internet Movie Car Database has a few Maxis including Loads more here So, what are people's thoughts do you prefer the early front without the vertical grille badge or the later front with it? Whilst I like both i'm erring slightly more towards the earlier front, as I like the clean lines & overrider bumpers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeeExEll Posted January 27, 2020 Share Posted January 27, 2020 Amishtat, Sudsprint and Austat 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keef Posted January 27, 2020 Author Share Posted January 27, 2020 1 hour ago, ETCHY said: Shame, I hate seeing cars like that. The front wheel angle doesn't look too good. Front subframe rotted out. image by keef, on Flickr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ETCHY Posted January 27, 2020 Share Posted January 27, 2020 7 minutes ago, keef said: Front subframe rotted out. image by keef, on Flickr Flipping heck ☹️ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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