My WIP book about Red Robbo, and Longbridge stuff.

[Snipes]

100% buying this. Are Amazon pre-orders a thing?

[ETCHY]

Possibly arrange somehow for the book to not be available due to strike action for a bit, to give that authentic BL vibe..

[lesapandre]

The cover will be  kind of sludge green colour and come off the third time it's opened too.

[motorpunk]

5 hours ago, Sir Snipes said:

100% buying this. Are Amazon pre-orders a thing?

If I knew how to do it, yes, but I don’t, so no. Sorry.

Proofreader needs warming up. I need to get the back cover art ordered too, for that I need some quotes, and for that I need some famous people to read a draft version and say nice things.

[MrBig]

1 hour ago, motorpunk said:

Proofreader needs warming up. I need to get the back cover art ordered too, for that I need some quotes, and for that I need some famous people to read a draft version and say nice things.

"What the hell happened to it?!? Did you shut it in a door? Anyway, how did you get into my bathroom?" - Dame Judy Dench.

"No, I don't know what engine options were available in the Talbot Tagora. I'm calling the police." - Bono

[lesapandre]

The only major player I can think of who is certainly alive from this era is Geoffrey Robinson - in '73 he succeeded Lofty England as Chairman of Jaguar Cars - at that time under British Leyland's ownership. He resigned in 1975 because did not agree with the Ryder Plan.

He is 87.

[R Lutz]

Sir John Egan took the Castle Bromwich plant, which ARG were going to shutter, and removed the 'Black Bar' before getting it back up to speed. I drove past that last Friday. It looked dead. 

[Snipes]

3 hours ago, lesapandre said:

The only major player I can think of who is certainly alive from this era is Geoffrey Robinson - in '73 he succeeded Lofty England as Chairman of Jaguar Cars - at that time under British Leyland's ownership. He resigned in 1975 because did not agree with the Ryder Plan.

He is 87.

Memories probably fading fast. That's not even an old folks joke it was 50 years ago. 

[warren t claim]

3 hours ago, R Lutz said:

Sir John Egan took the Castle Bromwich plant, which ARG were going to shutter, and removed the 'Black Bar' before getting it back up to speed. I drove past that last Friday. It looked dead. 

What's the "Black Bar?"

[R Lutz]

2 hours ago, warren t claim said:

What's the "Black Bar?"

No men or women of black ethnicity (is that the term?) allowed into the place. Given its proximity to largely black communities in the area, it was astonishing it was allowed to happen. The unions were complicit, BL management turned a blind eye. 

[warren t claim]

2 minutes ago, R Lutz said:

No men or women of black ethnicity (is that the term?) allowed into the place. Given its proximity to largely black communities in the area, it was astonishing it was allowed to happen. The unions were complicit, BL management turned a blind eye. 

What was the first Jag built in C.B?

[R Lutz]

Wholly built was the S-Type. Until then it supplied XJ bodies.

[warren t claim]

3 minutes ago, R Lutz said:

Wholly built was the S-Type. Until then it supplied XJ bodies.

I've delivered to Castle Brom when I was a truck driver. The problem is that there's no chance of expansion due to the local geography.

[Pieman]

On 21/05/2025 at 00:45, warren t claim said:

The last remaining Triumph building in Speke.

The as expected road names.

It annoys me when they demolish something and THEN rename the roads in "tribute" to it.  An example of this is the housing estate built in the '70s where West Ham speedway stadium used to be - they named several roads on the estate after former club riders.  To me, that smacks of "Look what used to be here and you could still be enjoying if it wasn't for us, but we're property developers so bollocks to you!"

(Sorry to hijack your thread there Rich, keep up the great work!)

[motorpunk]

20 hours ago, Pieman said:
(Sorry to hijack your thread there Rich, keep up the great work!)

Hijack away, mate, no problem.

Been a busy day but managed to knock out another thousand words. Timeline on laptop, story gets typed on iPad, Asahi zero and some white noise music for company.

 

[AnthonyG]

On 06/06/2025 at 18:25, R Lutz said:

Sir John Egan took the Castle Bromwich plant, which ARG were going to shutter, and removed the 'Black Bar' before getting it back up to speed. I drove past that last Friday. It looked dead. 

I don’t think anything is currently built there now XE & XF production has stopped (possibly the F type was built there as well). JLR say they will use it for things other than car assembly but it’s a very big site to do general engineering out of. 

[sierraman]

On 08/06/2025 at 21:08, AnthonyG said:

I don’t think anything is currently built there now XE & XF production has stopped (possibly the F type was built there as well). JLR say they will use it for things other than car assembly but it’s a very big site to do general engineering out of. 

Other things like a housing estate when the rebirth turns to shit next year! 😂

[motorpunk]

Let’s see if this letter gets a response…

[lesapandre]

He's 95 and his tenure at BL was pretty stormy - so yes be interesting to see if you can get some words on this increasingly disappearing era. 

Sacking David Bache one of the most influential car designers of the C20 was always a controversial move.

[lesapandre]

Incidentally tomorrow June 14 is the centenary of David Bache's birth.

[R Lutz]

When I sat and sipped Earl Grey from Bone China with Moulton, he laid the blame for Austin-Morris' failure squarely on the Communists. He really didn't like Lord Stokes either. 

[Snipes]

7 minutes ago, R Lutz said:

When I sat and sipped Earl Grey from Bone China with Moulton, he laid the blame for Austin-Morris' failure squarely on the Communists. He really didn't like Lord Stokes either. 

Based?

[motorpunk]

On 13/06/2025 at 13:56, motorpunk said:

Let’s see if this letter gets a response…

Well bugger me sideways with an Austin Metro, I’ve had a reply! Meeting on the cards…

[lesapandre]

Wow that's fantastic. 👌 

Sir Graham Day is still with us - he's 92. And Geoffrey Robinson who is 87. 

[High Jetter]

Blimey! Hope he has some useful stuff for you.

[R Lutz]

1 hour ago, motorpunk said:

Well bugger me sideways with an Austin Metro, I’ve had a reply! Meeting on the cards…

You know he was Denis Chick's mentor? Might be worth linking in with him before going to see him. 

[New POD]

Slightly off topic.   You can buy a slitce of long bridge history https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/154817306

 

[High Jetter]

That's a big slitce. Oh shit, just a flat?

[lesapandre]

A little more about the house and the Austin connection here:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lickey_Grange