If William Morris were alive today
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- Minor Legend
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If William Morris were alive today
I was sat by the car the other day looking at all the moderns in the car park when a fellow Minor driver quite unexpectedly hove in to view.
Mine was a feeling of warmth.
It set me wondering, although Lord Nuffield wasn't keen to start with regarding the Minor, I wondered if he were alive today and I recounted the history of the indigenous British motor industry to him, just what his thoughts would be?
So...........if you were telling Bill Morris just what happened, what would you say ?
Mine was a feeling of warmth.
It set me wondering, although Lord Nuffield wasn't keen to start with regarding the Minor, I wondered if he were alive today and I recounted the history of the indigenous British motor industry to him, just what his thoughts would be?
So...........if you were telling Bill Morris just what happened, what would you say ?
Where angels fear to tread
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- Minor Maniac
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Re: If William Morris were alive today
How do you like your eggs - poached, or boiled?
Maurice, E. Kent
(1970 Traveller)
(1970 Traveller)
Re: If William Morris were alive today
Love it,made me laugh !philthehill wrote:Where did it all go wrong?
Re: If William Morris were alive today
I never thought of Red Robbo !moggiethouable wrote:I was sat by the car the other day looking at all the moderns in the car park when a fellow Minor driver quite unexpectedly hove in to view.
Mine was a feeling of warmth.
It set me wondering, although Lord Nuffield wasn't keen to start with regarding the Minor, I wondered if he were alive today and I recounted the history of the indigenous British motor industry to him, just what his thoughts would be?
So...........if you were telling Bill Morris just what happened, what would you say ?
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- Minor Maniac
- Posts: 10907
- Joined: Thu Jul 19, 2012 12:05 pm
- Location: Hampshire
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Re: If William Morris were alive today
Funny old world aint it!
The Germans tried bombing your factory in WW2 and now they occupy it
(comment relates to the assembly of the new BMW Mini Cooper at Cowley)
The Germans tried bombing your factory in WW2 and now they occupy it
(comment relates to the assembly of the new BMW Mini Cooper at Cowley)
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- Minor Legend
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- Joined: Tue Jan 17, 2012 12:30 pm
- Location: North East England
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Re: If William Morris were alive today
I thought I may loan him one of Martin Adeneys excellent books on the British motor industry.
It would be difficult to explain that part of the problem was his difficulty in letting go, delegating and accepting that the Morris 8 was a good car, but not any more.
Then there is the thorny subject of under investment and all the money that went in to Nuffield hospitals that ended up private institutions anyway.
Then apologising for the accountancy mess that made the Mini Britains most unprofitable car ever.
Then the issues that arose from his ex second in command taking cowley apart brick by brick, then the climate of fear propagated by Herbert Austin that generated the better red than dead philosophy on the shop floor, then, assuming he was still awake, the way everyone missed the real threat from Japan until it was too late.
Then I imagine he would wish he had stayed asleep.
Who could blame him.
Me too.
It would be difficult to explain that part of the problem was his difficulty in letting go, delegating and accepting that the Morris 8 was a good car, but not any more.
Then there is the thorny subject of under investment and all the money that went in to Nuffield hospitals that ended up private institutions anyway.
Then apologising for the accountancy mess that made the Mini Britains most unprofitable car ever.
Then the issues that arose from his ex second in command taking cowley apart brick by brick, then the climate of fear propagated by Herbert Austin that generated the better red than dead philosophy on the shop floor, then, assuming he was still awake, the way everyone missed the real threat from Japan until it was too late.
Then I imagine he would wish he had stayed asleep.
Who could blame him.
Me too.
Where angels fear to tread
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- Moderator
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Re: If William Morris were alive today
He'd probably be even more interested in the future than the history.. such as that the UK makes more cars now than ever.
I'd expect he's find the forthcoming plethora of EV's to be more than interesting - especially with the challenges of new infrastructure and the decade long undecided debate between fuel cell vs battery for technology and/or EV vs bio fuel for politics & lobbying vs logic.
I'd expect he's find the forthcoming plethora of EV's to be more than interesting - especially with the challenges of new infrastructure and the decade long undecided debate between fuel cell vs battery for technology and/or EV vs bio fuel for politics & lobbying vs logic.
Ray. MMOC#47368. Forum moderator.
Jan 06: The Minor SII Africa adventure: http://www.minor-detour.com
Oct 06: back from Dresden with my Trabant 601 Kombi
Jan 07: back from a month thru North Africa (via Timbuktu) in a S3 Landy
June 07 - back from Zwickau Trabi Treffen
Aug 07 & Aug 08 - back from the Lands End to Orkney in 71 pickup
Sept 2010 - finally gave up breaking down in a SII Landy...
where to break down next?
2013... managed to seize my 1275 just by driving it round the block
Jan 06: The Minor SII Africa adventure: http://www.minor-detour.com
Oct 06: back from Dresden with my Trabant 601 Kombi
Jan 07: back from a month thru North Africa (via Timbuktu) in a S3 Landy
June 07 - back from Zwickau Trabi Treffen
Aug 07 & Aug 08 - back from the Lands End to Orkney in 71 pickup
Sept 2010 - finally gave up breaking down in a SII Landy...
where to break down next?
2013... managed to seize my 1275 just by driving it round the block
Re: If William Morris were alive today
To be honest,I don't think he would be to bothered about today's vehicles. He left his legacy for us all to build on,and we did.
For me, a dinosaur,the past is great to look back on. The leather couch,on display at Gaydon,where he reputedly had a kip every afternoon,speaks volumes about what can be achieved-if you just CHILL ! So looking forward to Classic van and Pick's up event at Gaydon. The non, one Mark event,takes place on Sunday- 10th of August. Get your Morris van/ pick up there,and do William Morris, as well as your self a favor ! See the first Low light, to come off the line,as well as Shelia Wakely's,green GPO Telephone Van. Sadly,gone,she did a great job on it. God bless her !
For me, a dinosaur,the past is great to look back on. The leather couch,on display at Gaydon,where he reputedly had a kip every afternoon,speaks volumes about what can be achieved-if you just CHILL ! So looking forward to Classic van and Pick's up event at Gaydon. The non, one Mark event,takes place on Sunday- 10th of August. Get your Morris van/ pick up there,and do William Morris, as well as your self a favor ! See the first Low light, to come off the line,as well as Shelia Wakely's,green GPO Telephone Van. Sadly,gone,she did a great job on it. God bless her !
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- Moderator
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- Joined: Fri Nov 01, 2002 2:55 pm
- Location: LEAMINGTON SPA
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Re: If William Morris were alive today
Nuffield's leading guys were allowed to innovate, invest & to bring new technology, and that's what made the group successful (and removing that being a key part of the downturn when Lord took over) therefore I'd not be so sure he's have no interest in the modern car industry.
There certainly was a lot more to the guy than the motor industry, but if around now, i'm sure he'd take some comfort that the legacy of our UK motor industry is still here with the benefits that manufacturing and technology bring to society.
Our news & media don't like to talk up our achievements, but UK car industry is actually going very well at the moment & on track to beat all previous records.
http://www.smmt.co.uk/2014/01/uk-car-ma ... year-high/
There certainly was a lot more to the guy than the motor industry, but if around now, i'm sure he'd take some comfort that the legacy of our UK motor industry is still here with the benefits that manufacturing and technology bring to society.
Our news & media don't like to talk up our achievements, but UK car industry is actually going very well at the moment & on track to beat all previous records.
http://www.smmt.co.uk/2014/01/uk-car-ma ... year-high/
Ray. MMOC#47368. Forum moderator.
Jan 06: The Minor SII Africa adventure: http://www.minor-detour.com
Oct 06: back from Dresden with my Trabant 601 Kombi
Jan 07: back from a month thru North Africa (via Timbuktu) in a S3 Landy
June 07 - back from Zwickau Trabi Treffen
Aug 07 & Aug 08 - back from the Lands End to Orkney in 71 pickup
Sept 2010 - finally gave up breaking down in a SII Landy...
where to break down next?
2013... managed to seize my 1275 just by driving it round the block
Jan 06: The Minor SII Africa adventure: http://www.minor-detour.com
Oct 06: back from Dresden with my Trabant 601 Kombi
Jan 07: back from a month thru North Africa (via Timbuktu) in a S3 Landy
June 07 - back from Zwickau Trabi Treffen
Aug 07 & Aug 08 - back from the Lands End to Orkney in 71 pickup
Sept 2010 - finally gave up breaking down in a SII Landy...
where to break down next?
2013... managed to seize my 1275 just by driving it round the block