Satuage teigade Pada
Page 31
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Vlay I suggest that you use he undoubted influence of (our publication, to )ersuade the dunderheads )f politicians, Ryder, et al, o salvage for posterity and )rosperity, at least the parts of Leyland that have always oeen solvent.
These companies should te re-launched as private irms. There was, and still s, no financial, economic, narketing or engineering irgument for them to be ncluded in Leyland — only )olitical reasons.
Maybe the National Enterprise Board might etain some shares, to tnsure the companies stay Iritish — but that would be ill. The hiving-off should be lone now, while we can still emember the makes, and to avoid confusing the dealers aid customers further.
I refer to: I. Jaguar Cars — including irf course Daimler cars, now /anderi-Plas, and more mportant the Daimler bus ;hassis. This has been nexcusably laid on the iacrificial altar to appease he ego of the Leyland lesigners and make way for heir inferior Atlantean and itill-born B15. These .eyland designs are being werlooked but infortunately Volvo and ;cania-based buses are )eing purchased instead of he Daimler.
!. Bristol buses and coaches — Exactly the same argument as for the 3aimler.
I. Rover-Triumph cars — Vow inexorably intertwined, ind probably rightly so. ncluding Land-Rover and klvis military vehicles. Also, t is suggested, the MG narque and its Abingdon acuity —,the MG B being e-engined with the 1850/2000 Triumph engine.
It is suggested that the independent Jaguar cars, and the separate Rover-Triumph, would also take a majority shareholding in Alford and Alder; SU/Butec; and the Castle Bromwich pressing facility which provides -the majority of their body shells. Similarly Rover-Triumph would take full control of
the Swindon pressing plant that provides MG and some Triumph body shells; and the Bordesley Green pressing facility that produces Range-Rover and Stag, etc, bodies. The Mini body presses now at Castle Bromwich, and those of the Mini replacement and of the Allegro should be sited at Longbridge with the assembly track.
4. AEC commercial vehicles — Now with the axle component factory of Guy Motors at Wolverhampton. AEC, have done, can still and should produce a comprehensive range of commercial vehicles — independent of the rest of the Leyland range.
5. Aveling-Barford — Pre-eminent in the chosen earth-moving/road making equipment markets in which they compete. Those in which they do not compete are successfully contested by JCB, and some co-operation/association between the two would be to their mutual benefit.
6. Hiving off the above, would leave the Leyland truck facility in Lancashire, with the now integrated BMC/Redline truck and tractor factory at Bathgate; and the (to be) Albion transmission component factory in Scotstoun; and Scammell — with its complementary range of eight-wheelers, maximum gvw tractor units and specialist vehicles. It is claimed this conglomerate makes money — good. Hive it off too, with that once proud name, now despised particularly on the car side.
Remaining nationalised — and the only operation deserving or needing to be — would be the old BMC or Austin-Morris Cars (AMC) saloon car and van operation. True the Mini-Allegro-Maxi-Marina line-up is dated, and all the power units need replacing. However, the Princess is relatively new, as is the Sherpa van, and the taxi is unique. The range does cover the market second to none.
The AMC dealer network is as comprehensive as any, and the customer loyalty fantastic. All this is a reflection of how BMC did do it right, and of how AMC could do it right in the future.
AMC needs to be isolated now, and the efforts of the "Leyland" management and the Government (our) money, concentrated on AMC. AMC is what brought British Motor Holdings and British Leyland to their knees. The millstone ought to be, has to be, and must be, lifted from the necks of the separate operations above. These are individual, identifiable and profitable companies.
With the success and expansion from their own effort, they will be Competitive on a worldwide — not just European — basis.
ANDREW J BOULTON, Linlithgow, Lothian
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In a recent CM advertisement for veteran and vintage vehicles, the name of Garner appeared.
I wonder if anyone can tell me what happened to this company. Just after the First World War, the company my father worked for bought a second-hand 4/5 tonner and around the mid-thirties they bought a new 2/ 3-tonner, Garner, but that is about the last I remember of this particular make.
Also I wonder if it would be possible to start an "I Remember" corner in the CM where readers might Care to recall many more of the old names that have long since become extinct. A few I can remember are Guildford, Alford, or Halford, W.G. du Grosse, Strakers Squire, and I believe a Ferderal, and/or Federation.
Also I remember a couple of Clydesdales in the early twenties, which may or may not have been of American origin.
E. G. TAYLOR, Cinderhill, Nottingham.
it I regret that we cannot start the type of page you have in pind since we need all our space for current road transport topics. But perhaps a reader . does remember the name Garner. Editor.
Fuel tido ad %silk
I have been reading, with interest Bill Brock's article (CM, February 25) on the DAF 2000, but there is one point of particular interest which I should like to raise with you.
In the bottom left-hand corner, on page 43, Mr Brock mentions that for once he had no complaints on the performance of Dunlop Radials, but it is claimed by DAF that fuel consumption might be improved by using the more usual fitment of Michelin tyres due to their claimed lower rolling resistance.
I thought you ought to know that we are raising this matter with DAF since all the test evidence that we have shows that our SP111 tyres are on a par regarding fuel consumption with Michelin or slightly better depending which pattern one wants for comparison.
I would hate readers to labour under the misapprehension that they would increase their already expensive fuel bills by fitting our product.
D. S. E. CASDAGLI Marketing Planning Manager — Truck and Tractor, Dunlop Ltd.