Project Drive: MG Rover Cost-cutting

[Guest]

With thanks to Father Ted and Milford Cubicle: http://www.aronline.co.uk/index.htm?drivef.htm

 

From the ever-useful AR Online, this is some very interesting stuff. To shortly sum up - when the all-new "MG Rover" was created they introduced something called Project Drive, more-or-less a cost-cutting exercise.

 

The page has some interesting stuff on there but check out the PDF bulletins and have a read through them all, there's some really interesting stuff to be had there. Some of the stuff makes sense, but some of it is comically tight.

 

Some particular highlights.....

 

Bulletin 2: 75 tyres downsized from 205/65 to 195/65.

Bulletin 3: 45 front electric window switches replaced with same type as rear windows which offers less functionality and requires the owners handbook to be amended. Grip removed from the jack handle on the 75/ZT (!).

Bulletin 5: 45 1.4/1.6/1.8 rear anti-roll bar removed - counteracted by shorter coil springs.

Bulletin 8: Removal of spare wheel/jack setup across all models, replaced with a can of "instant tyre repair" (!). Spare wheel and jack combo made an added-cost extra.

Bulletin 9: MG TF Union Jack/Chequered Flag combo badge replaced with smaller ones.

Bulletin 12: 75/ZT two-tone horn now single-tone only. 45/ZS glovebox flock lining deleted.

 

Top find anyway.

[155V6]

Pretty sure MG ZRs never had a spare anyway,the full-size wheel wouln't fit in the well so they came with the can of sealant or an optional space-saver

[Pillock]

Wow, that's some seriously desperate stinginess.Wonder how much swapping the 130mm flag badges for 70mm ones saved?

[VWPowered]

rovers even the pikeys would approve off, i dont like the later ones 216 Vitesse would be what 1989 so thats my limit-ish

[Station]

Wow, that's some seriously desperate stinginess.Wonder how much swapping the 130mm flag badges for 70mm ones saved?

1p? 2p?

[Milford Cubicle]

You're missing out on some nice cars VWP, I think 1990s Rovers are great. Good value for money, well built, nice to drive and very rugged if you avoid neglected K-series engines.I'd like to know how much it cost to make the Project Drive changes - it must have taken some time, money, research and development, and if they were worth it in the scheme of things - especially really minor details like the jack handle grip and glovebox flock lining which must have saved them half a pence per car.

[VWPowered]

i have had afew 1990's rover, best was my old 418 Tourer (1997) was a great car shame the peugeot lump snapped a cam in three places, just prefer the older versions

[pogweasel]

I'd like to know how much it cost to make the Project Drive changes - it must have taken some time, money, research and development, and if they were worth it in the scheme of things - especially really minor details like the jack handle grip and glovebox flock lining which must have saved them half a pence per car.

Exactly, I bet the savings are totally negligable. Like the "base spec" Fords they used to churn out, it must have cost more to order in some low-output carbs and commission different 'dangly' mirrors to make a low-price special than to just knock up an extra 1000 "L"-spec's and knock £50 off the asking.

[Guest]

I reckon the Ford "base" models were a tool - tempt the public into the showrooms by giving the price of the base model and let them see how drab and unfeasible it would be to actually own, then talk them into the better-equipped and more expensive "L" model.

[Mike D]

I reckon the Ford "base" models were a tool - tempt the public into the showrooms by giving the price of the base model and let them see how drab and unfeasible it would be to actually own, then talk them into the better-equipped and more expensive "L" model.

Didn't stop my old boy buying my mum a pop plus, the tight git!

[brammy777]

I agree Hirst. Although I always thought 'L' sounded really bad enough on its own, without the loving of G.

I never see any base model Fords. Plenty of L models, I suppose most people binned those base ones along time ago.

 

Heres a comparison between a Base and an L:

 

In all fairness, I prefer the steel wheels. Who would have thought someone would have cherished a base model so much!

[VWPowered]

i used to have a 1986 Popular Plus Mk2 Festa was a great tool

[Mike D]

Gr8 4 no clock, speakers, wiring, parcel shelf or radio!

[pogweasel]

I had a Pop Plus Escort which spec-wise was only slightly higher than catching the bus. Fixed plastic head-rests, 1300HCS engine & 4-speed box, basic instrumentation, generally a grim place to be and crushingly embarassing to be seen in. It was pretty un-killable though, and GR8 on the zoom juice.

[Mike D]

I had a Pop Plus Escort which spec-wise was only slightly higher than catching the bus. Fixed plastic head-rests, 1300HCS engine & 4-speed box, basic instrumentation, generally a grim place to be and crushingly embarassing to be seen in. It was pretty un-killable though, and GR8 on the zoom juice.

Least the escort got headrests!! Bet it got a passenger door mirror too!....lol!Where did the 'Bonus 90' fit in? I remember one mate at college having a black XR3i, and the other had a beige one of the former. 1100 as i remember...

[M'coli]

It's quite possible that the cost savings were made because they had sufficient stock of fancy stuff to make it a premium item, like the wheel and jack combo; the others, they were about to run out of the flock-lined ones and it cost less to get non-lined ones, etc.

[Father Ted]

THIS is a Fiesta Base (said so on the log book)

Floor mounted squirty bulb washer

Vinyl seats

No radio

No speakers

No parcel shelf

No mounts for a parcel shelf

No heated Rear window

No rear wash wipe

No fag lighter / 12v socket

2 speed blower

No carpets (rubber mats only)

 

A few trips down the scrappers changed most of that - the Heated Rear Window and electric washer were the best changes.

 

 

THIS is a Pop Plus - it was like the fucking Paris Hilton in comparison...

[CIH]

I got my bluey LX hoping for some serious grim but it's a plush old bus. I was gutted. Maybe I should leave out the carpets and get some cheapo Halford rubber mats, disconnect most of the leccy kit etc

[strangehighways]

Was there a Fiesta Mk 2 Popular (without the Plus)? How did this fit into the line up? Was it the same as a base?

[andrew e]

http://autoshite.commlm/forum/viewtopic.ph ... ght=fiesta

[Father Ted]

There was a popular - I think it lacked rear wash wipe, radio with single speaker, and fag lighter.

[brammy777]

Using my 1983 Ford brochure, the trim levels for the Fiesta were:PopularPopular PlusLGLSGHIAPopulars interior looks so sparse. And not in a good way, but it seems to have carpeted floors?The blanking panel where the stereo should be looks so bad.The Popular plus has these features listed, so we can presume that means the popular didnt?'Carpet which includes load area, a centre console with a quartz clock, tailgate wash wipe system, front door 'courtesy switches', two sunvisors, detachable parcel shelf and rear wheel arch trim in the passenger compartment.'

[155V6]

There was a popular - I think it lacked rear wash wipe, radio with single speaker, and fag lighter.

No headrests either

[Richard]

Some of the ultra-povo cars of the early 1980s had no passenger sun visor.

[Rusty Pelican]

Some of the ultra-povo cars of the early 1980s had no passenger sun visor.

Povo spec has always been around , my pop bought an Anglia and had to pay extra for screen washers , my Commer had the passenger seat , heater , and the sunvisors as extras

[Milford Cubicle]

Can you buy a povo spec car any more?

 

Look at what you get in a base spec Panda for example

 

http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/equipment ... eriv=26939

[pogweasel]

I doubt there is anything you can get with keep-fit windows any more. Even basic commercial vehicles get toys these days. I've got electric windows in my 05 Kangoo, though these were clearly something of an afterthought as they elected to put the switches INSIDE the door bins.... I recently tried out a new Astravan and that was totally LUX inside, electric windows, mirrors, air-con, plenty gadgets, and that was not anywhere near the "top spec" version.

[scruff]

Bog spec Land Rover Defenders must be the closest thing these days, even though most of the farmers/travellers/posers who buy them spec them up like a Range Rover.A boggo 90 or 110 pickup or van will give you -Wind up windowsNo radioWipe-clean seatsAlthough even these have central locking now.

[Richard]

My 07 Transit is pretty basic. It has remote central locking, a CD player and a rev counter but manual windows and a rubber mat on the floor.

[Rusty Pelican]

In 74 Chrysler launched an Imp basic in responce to the Suiz crisis , this i recon is THE MOST POVO speced car ever , what you DIDNT get is thisno passenger sun visorno carpet ( just rubber mat ) no temperature gaugeno radio textured painted hardboard door panels ( no vinyl covering )no door pocketsno HEATER or fan no exterior trim and only one badgeno soundproofingno fag lighternon opening quaterlightsno nothing reallyThey never bothered to put any paint on the brake drums , how tight is that