Let me tell you a story.
One day, a long time ago,
.....but it was one day, and it was a long time ago!
So where did it all go wrong? If you want to know the answer to this question then you'll want to keep an eye out for August's Truck & Driver (out early July). We've got a great four page feature looking at the decline of the British truck industry.
While I was searching for photos to illustrate the story I came across this great Motor Show picture from the early 1960s. Check out all the names that have been confined to the history books: Leyland, Seddon, Bedford, Foden, Atkinson, ERF, Scammell and Austin-Morris. The one marque that still exists today is Land Rover - albeit with a non-British owner. Ironically the vehicles on its stand wouldn't look out of place at this year's Motor Show.
Comments (4)
Brian,
I agree that Britain has a diverse and great history of lorry making. But why is its demise always seen as something that we did wrong? The decline of the British motor industry (car & motorcycle manufacturing as well) simply followed the global trend. Go back to the early 1900s and the French, Germans, Italians, Americans, Austrians, Russians, even the Swiss had a huge number of manufacturers. By the 2nd World War, many of these manufacturers had gone, and the speed of decline increased further throughout the 1950s, 60's and 70's.
All these countries, including Britain, saw their industries decline through bankruptcy and take-over over a similar time period to Britain.
Yes, we lost a proud and varied industry, but we certainly aren't the only ones who can say that.
Best wishes,
Roy.
Posted by Roy Larkin | June 13, 2008 10:38 AM
Posted on June 13, 2008 10:38
Greetings from Canada: love the website by the way.
The list goes on.....how about AEC, Albion, Bristol, Maudslay, Thornycroft & Vulcan. No doubt there are more in the archives.
Inevitably some brands would disappear in the global economy, but why have some foreign makes prospered? My hunch is that poor UK management is largely to blame. They relied too much on selling to the old empire and not developing new markets, especially in Europe. Also I suspect they didn't provide the quality product and after-sales service of the big players (Mercedes, Scania, Volvo et al).
This bit of history would make a good a case study for the business schools. What can we learn from it all?
Posted by Bob French | June 13, 2008 4:07 PM
Posted on June 13, 2008 16:07
Have a look at aec.fotopic.net (for A.E.C. group) and ccmv.fotopic.net (for Albion to Vulcan and a few others) for examples of old UK vehicles.
Posted by D Powell | June 15, 2008 9:38 AM
Posted on June 15, 2008 09:38
Hi Brian,
I was the last of the "Contract Hire Specialists" employed and appointed by ERF and KL Commercials in Southampton.
The late nineties appeared at the time to be a golden time for ERF with a new plant at Middlewich and under the ownership of Western Star.
To us on the ground we initially believed that Western Star would come in and strip ERF out of the mid 20th Century management styles and point us in the future of American style sales,marketing and production. In reality they left ERF entirely to it's own devices and eventually flogged off to MAN.
MAN only really wanted access to ERF's prime operators in the Fuel and Specialist sectors.We knew from the start of this process that time would see the end.
Looking back now at the pics of Princess Anne opening Middlewich and the buzz in the network,Oh,what might have been.
A pity there isn't someone out there somewhere that believes in British Truck Manufacturing with a few hundred million to spare, to take back the brand from MAN and give johnny foreigner a good run for his money.
I'd be first in line to have a go.
Long live "The Plastic Pigs"
Posted by Keith Wood | July 30, 2008 11:10 AM
Posted on July 30, 2008 11:10