I'd say the really important thing is where the jobs are
UK jobs do help of course, better to have them than not, but the wages paid to the workforce is a small part of the economic cake that is a car company. It's not the most important thing. Control is also out of the hands of UK shareholders, so the owners can choose to take their investment and production elsewhere if they wish.
When we had a large UK owned car industry there was also a thriving parts supply industry that went with it. Most of that's gone now, the car industry is smaller and parts tend to be imported.
UK jobs do help of course, better to have them than not, but the wages paid to the workforce is a small part of the economic cake that is a car company. It's not the most important thing. Control is also out of the hands of UK shareholders, so the owners can choose to take their investment and production elsewhere if they wish.
When we had a large UK owned car industry there was also a thriving parts supply industry that went with it. Most of that's gone now, the car industry is smaller and parts tend to be imported.
Many British companies moved their manufacturing overseas, so it's not just Johnny foreigner.
You need the proper skills base though, yes you can assembly cars in a 3rd world country but often the quality of assembly is poor.
Also, most car manufacturers share parts these days, they have to the cost of design and manufacture is such that very few companies can afford to do it on their own.
The jobs are important, especially for getting kids into apprenticeships and having careers in design and engineering from university.
Give me a decent manufacturing company than some poxy call centre any day of the week.
If you have a good skilled workforce in an area you're much more likely to attract in similar companies as they know that the schools and colleges will be geared up to providing the sort of training required and there is a ready made workforce available.
Yes but you were talking about Das Auto ("that show" in your post), which came after Top Gear, and commenting on the "cobblers" it was saying about German ownership. That show wasn't a petrolheads show and so the wider economic value is valid, not "cobblers" at all.
That show wasn't talking about economics either! They used a British built and designed car as an example of how the German motor industry is better than the British one, and implied that German car buyers appreciate beauty in a car more than British buyers do.
The first is just plain wrong (in fact bordering on spurious) and the second is very arguable. Neither are anything to do with who owns the company that owns the factory the car is built in.
The fact is the German economy is very powerful. That allows it to acquire assets overseas more readily that it allows overseas companies to acquire assets in Germany. That's a fine argument and is essentially the one you're making.. However it has nothing to do with cars. It applies equally to TVs, vacuum cleaners, fridges, guns, sprockets...
Basic simple point : Who owns the company has absolutely nothing to do with how good the cars that come out the door are. Great cars are built in Britain by companies owned by Germans, Japanese, Russians, Indians... If the German mentality was somehow the major issue, all those other cars would be inferior. They aren't. The program's argument was bunk.
[QUOTE=Hassaan13;67676228What do you think they should do for the next series which it has missed this series?[/QUOTE]
Having seen James driving around the countryside in a Borisbus, the idea occurs to me that they should go on a Summer Holiday, Cliff Richard style.They should get a proper Routemaster, and do it up as an RV. Then off they go down the M20, singing 'Summer Holiday', through France and up the side of a Swiss mountain all the way to Greece.
Now, which one of them best suits the rôle of the 'Bachelor Boy'...?
Well, i have to say that i thought the final episode of this series was terrific, love the bus feature, and the final "Made in Britain" film was lovely television.
The episode before was good too with the caravan feature.
Star of this series though, for me at least, was the "Hovervan" - ond of the funniest films they've done for a while.
I thought the Spanish episode was good, with some cutting comment, a real eye-opener.
The first couple of episodes were ok, but bereft of classic moments.
The R8 is.. OK I suppose. The Porsche looks like what it is, which is a 1950's design with a bodykit added.
But the TT? Really? It's an upturned jellymold with a spoiler glued onto it.
Do any of those cars compare to even the ugliest current Ferrari or Aston? Do any of them have the outright mad theatre of a Lambo or a Pagani? No. They fulfil every cliche' of German design. Efficient. Reliable. Dull.
I repeat : Hardly anybody had a poster of a German car on their wall as a child. There's a good reason for that.
That show wasn't talking about economics either! They used a British built and designed car as an example of how the German motor industry is better than the British one, and implied that German car buyers appreciate beauty in a car more than British buyers do.
The first is just plain wrong (in fact bordering on spurious) and the second is very arguable. Neither are anything to do with who owns the company that owns the factory the car is built in.
The fact is the German economy is very powerful. That allows it to acquire assets overseas more readily that it allows overseas companies to acquire assets in Germany. That's a fine argument and is essentially the one you're making.. However it has nothing to do with cars. It applies equally to TVs, vacuum cleaners, fridges, guns, sprockets...
Basic simple point : Who owns the company has absolutely nothing to do with how good the cars that come out the door are. Great cars are built in Britain by companies owned by Germans, Japanese, Russians, Indians... If the German mentality was somehow the major issue, all those other cars would be inferior. They aren't. The program's argument was bunk.
I must have been watching a different programme. I thought it was a programme about how the British car industry fell apart and how Germany's rose from the ashes of WW2 to its dominant world position. It was down to a whole series of things - emphasis on quality, labour relations, design, marketing, management etc. Yes, it did say that culturally Germans buying cars made much more out of it than Brits too, but that was not a key part of the argument.
Yes, I drive a VW and I am hoping they will build a roadster. I have owned shares in VW and they did well - cheers - and yes, I had a picture of a Quattro on my wall. That car was a revelation in rallying, although I always enjoyed the MK1 Golf Cabriolet looking like a WW2 Staff car. My family owned some real British cr*p in the 70s, including a Marina and an Allegro estate (not quite as rubbish as the basic Allegro). They were just rubbish and they moved on to Volvos and VWs.
It also stands as a metaphor that much as you and the UKIP nutters might disparage Germany, they hold the cards now.
I'd forgotten how nasty Webber's Valencia crash was, although his Le Mans flips were probably worse.
Yes, Webber's flip was actually his second - he'd flipped during qualifying two days previously. and then team-mate Peter Dumbreck flipped his car during the race, at which point M-B finally admitted defeat and withdrew the surviving car from the race. Dumbreck's flip was caught on video and is truly terrifying.
I would imagine the VW Beetle and Camper van has adorned many a bedroom wall, in fact those two are probably the most iconic vehicles of all time, and will still be for man years to come, after all the Ferrai posters have been taken down.
I'll say one thing for TG - they certainly know how to tickle the prejudices of the types who love the show.
The final farcical line-up inn The Mall of the disparate bits of automotive stuff assembled in the UK must have had the Germans spitting out their currywurst in laughter. "Das Auto" - written and presented by a grown up person - gave the lie to the tripe peddled by the pitiful Clarkson and his motley crew.
This series has at least demonstrated there are no depths to which this tedious, patronising, ego trip cannot plunge. How anyone with an IQ higher than a plant can suffer it without feeling their intelligence is being insulted, I know not.
I drive one of the cars lined up on The Mall. It cost £43,000, the profits of which will have been exported to India. It's 15 months old, has been back to the dealer 11 times, and is falling to bits. It will be back to the Germans next time for me.
I'll say one thing for TG - they certainly know how to tickle the prejudices of the types who love the show.
The final farcical line-up inn The Mall of the disparate bits of automotive stuff assembled in the UK must have had the Germans spitting out their currywurst in laughter. "Das Auto" - written and presented by a grown up person - gave the lie to the tripe peddled by the pitiful Clarkson and his motley crew.
This series has at least demonstrated there are no depths to which this tedious, patronising, ego trip cannot plunge. How anyone with an IQ higher than a plant can suffer it without feeling their intelligence is being insulted, I know not.
I drive one of the cars lined up on The Mall. It cost £43,000, the profits of which will have been exported to India. It's 15 months old, has been back to the dealer 11 times, and is falling to bits. It will be back to the Germans next time for me.
I'll say one thing for TG - they certainly know how to tickle the prejudices of the types who love the show.
The final farcical line-up inn The Mall of the disparate bits of automotive stuff assembled in the UK must have had the Germans spitting out their currywurst in laughter. "Das Auto" - written and presented by a grown up person - gave the lie to the tripe peddled by the pitiful Clarkson and his motley crew.
This series has at least demonstrated there are no depths to which this tedious, patronising, ego trip cannot plunge. How anyone with an IQ higher than a plant can suffer it without feeling their intelligence is being insulted, I know not.
I drive one of the cars lined up on The Mall. It cost £43,000, the profits of which will have been exported to India. It's 15 months old, has been back to the dealer 11 times, and is falling to bits. It will be back to the Germans next time for me.
Thanks for your thoughts - i enjoyed it, as did lots of others, and i'm not thick....
Comments
When we had a large UK owned car industry there was also a thriving parts supply industry that went with it. Most of that's gone now, the car industry is smaller and parts tend to be imported.
It's funny if you're not used to the English language.
What do you think they should do for the next series which it has missed this series?
Many British companies moved their manufacturing overseas, so it's not just Johnny foreigner.
You need the proper skills base though, yes you can assembly cars in a 3rd world country but often the quality of assembly is poor.
Also, most car manufacturers share parts these days, they have to the cost of design and manufacture is such that very few companies can afford to do it on their own.
The jobs are important, especially for getting kids into apprenticeships and having careers in design and engineering from university.
Give me a decent manufacturing company than some poxy call centre any day of the week.
If you have a good skilled workforce in an area you're much more likely to attract in similar companies as they know that the schools and colleges will be geared up to providing the sort of training required and there is a ready made workforce available.
The first is just plain wrong (in fact bordering on spurious) and the second is very arguable. Neither are anything to do with who owns the company that owns the factory the car is built in.
The fact is the German economy is very powerful. That allows it to acquire assets overseas more readily that it allows overseas companies to acquire assets in Germany. That's a fine argument and is essentially the one you're making.. However it has nothing to do with cars. It applies equally to TVs, vacuum cleaners, fridges, guns, sprockets...
Basic simple point : Who owns the company has absolutely nothing to do with how good the cars that come out the door are. Great cars are built in Britain by companies owned by Germans, Japanese, Russians, Indians... If the German mentality was somehow the major issue, all those other cars would be inferior. They aren't. The program's argument was bunk.
More overseas road trips. That is what they do best. dont care for their star in a car etc.
what was the webber joke...he said 'my dad said dont beat young boys......' then drowned in audience laughter. did not get the end bit
Having seen James driving around the countryside in a Borisbus, the idea occurs to me that they should go on a Summer Holiday, Cliff Richard style.They should get a proper Routemaster, and do it up as an RV. Then off they go down the M20, singing 'Summer Holiday', through France and up the side of a Swiss mountain all the way to Greece.
Now, which one of them best suits the rôle of the 'Bachelor Boy'...?
I instantly thought of a quip about him happy to beat women but then I have a Frankie Boyle type sense of humour.
The episode before was good too with the caravan feature.
Star of this series though, for me at least, was the "Hovervan" - ond of the funniest films they've done for a while.
I thought the Spanish episode was good, with some cutting comment, a real eye-opener.
The first couple of episodes were ok, but bereft of classic moments.
I think the show is still in very decent health.
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6065/6106334850_11b08d3caf.jpg
http://img862.imageshack.us/img862/4137/autounion1000sp5.jpg
auto union 1000 SP.:cool:
http://bimmerin.net/pics/z8/BLACK_BMW_Z8_hardtop_by_Partywave.jpg
http://www.automobilesreview.com/pictures/jaguar/2013-f-type-uk/wallpaper-04.html
http://www.alpina-automobiles.com/fileadmin/user_upload/website/IMAGES/content/parts_accessory/wheels_alpina/Z4Z8/ALPINA_classic_Z8_01.jpg
Jag
http://www.themotorreport.com.au/content/image/2/0/2013_jaguar_f_type_overseas_11-0927.jpg
You should - what do you think pays for the design work and who decides what is done where?
I must have been watching a different programme.
Yes, I drive a VW and I am hoping they will build a roadster. I have owned shares in VW and they did well - cheers - and yes, I had a picture of a Quattro on my wall. That car was a revelation in rallying, although I always enjoyed the MK1 Golf Cabriolet looking like a WW2 Staff car. My family owned some real British cr*p in the 70s, including a Marina and an Allegro estate (not quite as rubbish as the basic Allegro). They were just rubbish and they moved on to Volvos and VWs.
It also stands as a metaphor that much as you and the UKIP nutters might disparage Germany, they hold the cards now.
Yes, Webber's flip was actually his second - he'd flipped during qualifying two days previously. and then team-mate Peter Dumbreck flipped his car during the race, at which point M-B finally admitted defeat and withdrew the surviving car from the race. Dumbreck's flip was caught on video and is truly terrifying.
He clearly said "F***ing" , it was the subtitles editor that changed it to the lesser "C" word.
https://twitter.com/JeremyClarkson/status/364120989463875584
https://twitter.com/JeremyClarkson/status/364121929696817154
The final farcical line-up inn The Mall of the disparate bits of automotive stuff assembled in the UK must have had the Germans spitting out their currywurst in laughter. "Das Auto" - written and presented by a grown up person - gave the lie to the tripe peddled by the pitiful Clarkson and his motley crew.
This series has at least demonstrated there are no depths to which this tedious, patronising, ego trip cannot plunge. How anyone with an IQ higher than a plant can suffer it without feeling their intelligence is being insulted, I know not.
I drive one of the cars lined up on The Mall. It cost £43,000, the profits of which will have been exported to India. It's 15 months old, has been back to the dealer 11 times, and is falling to bits. It will be back to the Germans next time for me.
Auf Wiedersehen dann
Tschüss, Jaguar.
Even Ta Ta Jaguar and many others.:rolleyes:
Near the end of June.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2346891/Top-Gear-The-Mall-200m-British-cars.html
Thanks for your thoughts - i enjoyed it, as did lots of others, and i'm not thick....
Volkswagen ...KARMA...perhaps.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_Gear_controversies