RUMCars Forum
General Category => Off Topic Lounge => Topic started by: mharrell on October 27, 2012, 12:57:24 AM
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It's neither a microcar nor unusual (except perhaps nowadays...), but I do understand there are a fair number of Brits on this forum, so perhaps I should mention that I recently bought this 1983 Austin Maestro Vanden Plas:
http://bringatrailer.com/2012/08/20/non-usa-1983-austin-maestro/ (http://bringatrailer.com/2012/08/20/non-usa-1983-austin-maestro/)
The dash is digital! It talks! It has genuine wood trim! Most significantly, it's rated to tow 2500 pounds!
The R Series engine has an excellent reputation, right?
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Err no. The R series had a poor reputation. It was a stop gap engine rushed into production until the more fully developed version of the old e series was ready, it suffered various problems, head gaskets, starting etc. It had a short production run. These faults may well have been exaggerated because during this period the British were intent on destroying there own motor industry.
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oops see wikipedia :-\
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Just remember to always carry a picnic with you. If the engine breaks down, you can get in the back and use those lovely walnut picnic tables, so you won't care if the car runs or not.
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Err no.
I was just having some fun. I read up on the engine's reputation before arranging to look at the car, but bought it anyway. The allure of trying to make a go of what's probably the only R Series in North America was just too strong.
That, and the seller came way down on the price. Strangely enough, despite nationwide exposure, I was the only one to contact him.
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You may be pleasantly surprised.
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so might you ;)
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Something different. These are a rare sight here now. Typical trad Micronautical behaviour. A difficult car to own if it suffers an issue, I'll have it - at a price. Sadly I know nothing about these cars counting them as 'Modern'. Oh dear!
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Of course it's modern; it's the newest car I've ever owned. It even has power windows... for the front doors.
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Oh no, luxuries. Hopefully they will not work or it could be the end of a brill car collection. Argh!
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What's got me worried is that the sunroof doesn't leak. I just know it's setting me up for something.
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A ruddy girt hurricane? Eer, I have news.....
Seriously, I hope this is not as bad as it looks.
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It even has power windows... for the front doors.
Be accurate, it has power windows by Joseph Lucas, Prince of Darkness with three functions - up, down and won't-go-back-up.
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The Maestro can hold an amazing amount of people and/or goods for a car of its size and does not look too bad for a basic and useful load carrier. Sadly these are its virtues. A perfect example of what British industry could do when squeezed between our Governments who want to get rid of industry and our Banks who see no point in industry. Therefore no real support or encouragement is available and no investment and all they could do was to naill together cars which were 25 years behind all other European and Japanese cars.
Sadly that is all gone now, and with the ending of London Taxicabs International last month our car industry is now Morgan alone.
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Its a great shame as by the time Rover cars were finished they had a decent range of cars.
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Once again Britain has gone into the specialist auto related market for high profit products. That is great but only employs a few at a good wage. The construction of the mass market employs a lot more people and the money spreads further. The pace of new ideas and the enforcing of the resulting licenses needs to be underwritten and defended in a way we are falling to do from the State.
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orrect, despite all the odds being stacked against them they had made great strides. Just to prove how useless our Governments and Financiers are Rover group needed loans to help them bring in better models, but G & F said there was no future. While they were claiming there was "no future", new factories were being built in China and USA to produce some of the models, and these are now selling reasonably well. It was the same with Rolls Royce and Bentley, they needed finance and help to introduce new models, but all the time our T & G was claiming that they were a spent force, foreign companies were jostling to join the queue to buy the two companies, in fact there was a serious throng of competitive bids lining up behind the front runners.
The Management at LTI had being growing exponentially over the last few years, with "Professional" Managers who knew nothing about making vehicles and ignored those who did. They started interfering with engineering decisions and laying off practical people because they wanted a "professional" image of men in suits. Loads of marketing execs, each with a personal PA all getting decent salaries to try to come up with novel (and expensive) ways of "Marketing" a product specifically designed for a market which was ready to buy. Cabbies want a cab so they can work, no marketing is required. My friend saw the writing on the wall and got out a year ago.
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I c your point arcus :)
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I c your point arcus :)
An LP by LP featuring Merson, Ake and Almer. One track short of brilliance.
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od off!
:)
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Go on, you would love to be a tracked armadillo with a big gun in London traffic.
Meanwhile if Morgan are a biggest British owned vehicle manufacturer who are the next 4? Noble, Ultima, MacLaren, Andy Carter.