After Longbridge Closed

[Mike Trident]

It was inevitable really, like all other car manufacturers, they would have had to move production to countries where labour costs were cheaper.

[Robson Rover Repair]

I've owned a few of the cars that where auctioned off.

My lhd came through the Price Waterhouse sale as it was registered as a VDP but never converted, so just lay there brand new, I own a 06 registered CDTi auto 75 that was built late Feb 2005 and never left the factory so by time it was auction led off it had to go on a 06 plate.

I also owned an 06 45 that had been stamped March 05 but wasn't assembled until after.

Had a 06 18t zt also now I think about it, pretty sure it was an 04 parked up same as my lhd.

[Robson Rover Repair]

Originally Posted by jim_k

If you go to the Gaydon motor heritage centre the last 75 made was on display. I think the the assembly team all signed the inside of the bumper panel before it was fitted. The shut lines on the front don't look that great to be honest, however it was far from ideal to hand complete cars and maintain quality. Incidentally the administrators also in haste rounded up some cars that were being used for development and never intended for sale. One owner found that the electronic controls were not standard later on so diagnostics did not work. Another found they had a 1.9l diesel under evaluation not the.normal bmw unit. For safety sake these cars were never signed off and intended for the public but this happened in the confusion that followed.

The 1.9 jtd is here in Northern Ireland. I've driven it often. Its now on long term storage.

[torque2me]

Originally Posted by Edward Huggins

Thank you so much for this information. Such haunting photos. Just think of all those dedicated Workers who had built their lives around Longbridge and the hopes that they had back in 1999 when the new 75 was launched. This was to have been their future.....

The problem with Longbridge is they didn't think economics applied to them during the mid to late 70's. Red Robbo provided the lessons but the workforce chose to ignore them and the BL empire was dragged down by it's larger factories (not places like Abingdon). Of course it was a complicated time, a surfeit of unions, pay rates, over-manning and so on. Also a sort of lack of design style (such as the Marina) compared to continental manufacturers (except the Fiat 500).

No wonder we can't produce anything for the Army now!

Kev