Why Rover crashed, part 2

Why Rover crashed? Quentin Willson investigates for ITV's TONIGHT with Trevor McDonald broadcasted on 13 June 2005. In part 2 you can meet the Phoenix Four who bought MG Rover from BMW for £10 in 2000. Who were they and were they qualified to run a serious car business successfully?

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• MG Rover
• Why Rover crashed
• Phoenix Four
• ROver 75
• John Towers

[Manwitharuinedface]

poor old mg rover clueless pillocks running the company

[sutherlandA1]

1 billion pounds is alot of money and definitely enough to finance a new range of 25/45 successors if they were clever enough, its not exactly a new strategy to them. The Rover Metro, MGF and 1995 200 models were developed very cheaply and were very competent, if not innovative but a rebody of existing chassis would have left them with alot of change and been more effective than some new bumpers. But instead they decided to build a supercar and go racing, not sensible for a company on the brink.

[edwardszzz]

No it was the chinese who were stupid.Trying to pay millions of pounds for a pile of shit like Rover.

[aussierider223]

Absolutely disgusting how the directors handled the whole deal and as for China....con artists the lot of them and we caould not see it.....and the Brits fell for the whole thing......a pay back for Hong Kong. Rule Britannia.....give me a break. The Gov't. did nothing to assist the industry and so now they put up with only tourism...like the third world counties. I am a Brit..and now I was born in a third world country...thank God I moved to Oz. Shaun

[ruddytechnik]

@TJ347 you can't blame customers. The cars were crap compared to foreign rivals and no amount of jingoism can change that. Tarifs would make the average person poorer by having to pay more for a well built car or be contented with crap cars. The problem was the 'it'll do' work ethic and short term management style and decision making. Its what the Japanese call 'the British disease'. In this country we don't take pride in what we make and we don't have grounded, long sighted management.

[TJ347]

Bottom line is Brits weren't buying enough MGs or Rovers. Didn't help that they allowed foreigners in, like the US did, who pulled money out of the country. The government should've put high tariffs on imported cars and given rebates to those who bought cars made in the UK, but too late now. We're all doomed to drive Asian autos for all eternity.