Rover...

[mark_n]

Out of interest. If MG Rover goes out of business what happens to people who need warrenty work on their MG or Rover?

[Stu8]

I quite like the 200 series MG

I was thinking of buying one for my daily drive.

I must no nothing about cars!! (obviously)

[reece]

It's not just the Rover plant itself, the knock on effect to other businesses will be terrible

[Demonic Angel]

Out of interest.  If MG Rover goes out of business what happens to people who need warrenty work on their MG or Rover?

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And what about the workforce at Longbridge? 6,000 without jobs! And a further 20,000 possible job losses from companies who supply to MG Rover.

As much as I dont like their cars, its never nice to hear local people are going to lose their jobs.....

[mark_n]

I am sorry I didn't mean to ignore that point. I am sorry if my last post sounded heartless by not mentioning the job losses, I honestly wasnt intended to be.

It will be a devistating blow for the whole of the West Midlands. It happened up here (around the Durham and Northumberland areas) about 20 years ago when the pits closed. It devistates communities.

Out of interest.  If MG Rover goes out of business what happens to people who need warrenty work on their MG or Rover?

←

And what about the workforce at Longbridge? 6,000 without jobs! And a further 20,000 possible job losses from companies who supply to MG Rover.

As much as I dont like their cars, its never nice to hear local people are going to lose their jobs.....

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[Gareth B]

Just for the record, it was the 1.6 twin cam I was referring to and I didn't know the gearbox was peugeot, pardon my ignorance.

Just saw the news and sympathise with anyone who will suffer job losses etc.

[Twincam.GTi]

mark_n  Yesterday, 09:57 PM Post #26 

Out of interest. If MG Rover goes out of business what happens to people who need warrenty work on their MG or Rover? 

Basically your 'up a certain creak, with out a certain paddle'!

This has happen before in the early 90's with Yugo Cars. People bought these cheap little cars with a 2 year gurantee and then the former Yugoslavia 'Civil War' kicked of and thus stopped the export market (although Yugo cars continued to be made all through the war for home market and production was only stopped when NATO deamed it necessary to bomb their factory ...claimed AK47 rifles were being made there but afterwards further investigation proved no weapon manufacturing and NATO was wrong...haven't we heard that again?), in turn this voided the warranty in UK and people who had problems had no redress.

[bluepaseo]

A very sad day indeed. I have much affection with Rover as I grew up driving BMC, Leyland and then Rover cars. Loved them all, yes the current range is out of date but there is a lot of talent that just cant be used because of money troubles. I really feel for all involved, the Midlands will be really badly affected for some time to come.

Oh, wanted an MG ZR a couple years back but couldnt get comfy in one!

[~Rach~]

And what about the workforce at Longbridge? 6,000 without jobs! And a further 20,000 possible job losses from companies who supply to MG Rover.

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Exactly. My bro works for a company who produce the interior door panels for Rover, so his job is on the line now (bitter blow after everything thats happened) :(

Just praying that if the worst happens, then he can be transferred to another line (ie Toyotas line)

[System~G]

Our company car fleet consists only of Rover. I have a Rover 25 2l Turbo deisel. Mechanically it's never let me down, but two other engines have blown on colleagues cars. With my car, things do break far too easily and the interior rattles like a childs toy

At the end of the year when it comes time to change the cars over for new ones, at least we will have a certain amount of free choice this time B)

My business is going to be affected directly by this as I supply automation equipment for the assembly lines and to companies that make various components for the car (like the enteriors, hydrolics and other items).

The company doesn't have a good reputation (streat cred) because the cars they make are very bland.

The service departments are worse even than Toyota (maybe not on cost - but actuallly doing what they asked/expected to do). It took three attempts to get the brakes sorted on my car, even after I told them exactly what/where/why and how :ffs:

The entire british car assembly industry is on a thin string - a couple of weeks ago we heard of closure to Peugeot's 205 assembly line and now this... A lot of automotive manufacture and assembly is being moved to China and the far east where it's cheaper to produce/assemble the cars.

I do feel sorry for the employees who will loose their jobs over this. It's another sad day.

[Monster-Mat]

i think in ant rescue plan, the Rover name will all but be killed off, The MG name will be bolstered , and the longbridge plant will be broken up, the production line going to MG.the rest sold off.

this is how i see it going

[daktari]

And all because of a lack of foresight and investment 30 years ago. It`s a great shame. :(

[jaxx]

the rover K series engine...built and designed by Rover is still one of the most advanced all alloy engines in the world.

from my experience they are nothing but scrap aluminium, constantly eating head gaskets and certain ones use the longest bolts ive ever seen to hold the head and sump on in one go! plus they as powerful as a !Removed! in a hurricain!

hence a reason why lotus ditched it and went for Toyota 1.8 in the elise

[reece]

Can't say I'm a big fan of Rover cars, which is a shame. If they built cars like Toyota then I would consider having one.

[Twincam.GTi]

To me Rover tried to get to technologically advanced (when they had no development funds) and charge the same for there old design cars as what other manufacturers were charging for their newer designs.

However older models like a Minor, Marina, Mini and MGB are great fun when bought as a 'banger for a few hundred quid' and can be kept going with the bare minimum of tools (big 'ammer and a screw drive ) plus everyone seems to have 'leyland' parts sat in the shed so never any problem with spares. Also older Leylands are made from thick enough metal to be able to weld a plate on at M.O.T time.

All in all BMC,BL, Leyland, Austin Rover, Rover should have kept it simple and made cheaper cars (with simple mechanicals) and not charged to much that way they might not have been in such a financial state.

[jane-b]

Tis a shame. I hope something can be saved for the workers sakes

Jane x

[scionic]

I liked the look of the older, pre 1980's Rovers but not much looks to be inspiring in the current crop.

A Honda(Acura) Legend based Rover was sold here in the U.S. in the late 1980's under the name Sterling but wasn't all that successful. My physician had one and basically said the same as what many of you have said. Brilliant engine, but the rest of the car was a piece of leather swathed crap.

When I think of Rover now, I think of something Mrs. Bucket (bouquet!) of Keeping Up Appearances or her poor henpecked husband would drive.

But I don't like to see jobs lost, especially due to corporate malfunction. It's happened plent in Detroit too. In fact Farenheight 9/11 filmmaker, Michael Moore made a movie a few years back called Roger & Me about the disenfranchised GM factory workers losing their jobs and the decline of Michigan communities all caused by gross mismanagment of the company and the shipping of jobs overseas to maximize profits. GM helped build Detroit through the 1950's and 60's and steadily destroyed the livelihoods of the people who build the company through the late 80's and 90's

[Robie]

Rover is a state and any funds the Government find should just go straight to the workers to help them retrain and find other jobs.

[Minty]

Oh - and did I mention it was a gift from my dad to my missus ... otherwise theres absolutely now way in hell we'd have have it!

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So your old man and mrs dont get on then....

[reece]

[alanbradley]

When I think of Rover now, I think of something Mrs. Bucket (bouquet!) of Keeping Up Appearances or her poor henpecked husband would drive.

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...and in that one sentence you've found the source of Rover's problem.

I really do hope that someone can be found who will save at least part of the company.

I bet that it will be sold for about the price of the Starbucks coffe that I'm sitting here drinking ;)

A

[reece]

Mention Rover and I always think of this...

It's NOT a Toyota!!

[jonbro2000]

BMW should feel ashamed of what they did. If you look at another german car company, VW, they bought out Seat and Skoda, despite all the jokes, and allowed local workforces to brand VW's with their own country's make and personalise them. They make good quality reliable motors now. But BMW, they only wanted the Land Rover R + D so that they could get their own 4 X 4 off the starting blocks.

Me.. I feel sorry for Rover and all the people losing jobs, but I would never buy a BMW on principle

By the way, I think that the Rover 75 is an excellent niche model. It plugs a gap for the over 50's ;) but you can't keep a car manufacturer going with 1 niche model unless it is good enough to export all over the world, such as Subaru etc.

[Karma Supra]

From my experiances too, the K series is a total pile of :censor:

The old Rover V8 however is great!!!

Cheap to buy, cheap and easy to work on, light weight, fairly compact and capable of decent power :D

[Leeky]

the rover K series engine...built and designed by Rover is still one of the most advanced all alloy engines in the world.

from my experience they are nothing but scrap aluminium, constantly eating head gaskets and certain ones use the longest bolts ive ever seen to hold the head and sump on in one go! plus they as powerful as a fart in a hurricain!

hence a reason why lotus ditched it and went for Toyota 1.8 in the elise

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Couldn't agree more there, the K series is probably one of the worst engines i've ever seen in production today.

Uses headgaskets like they were made out of toilet roll and is as rough as a butchers dog. bout time Lotus dumped it in favour of the celica lump