| In 1979, the voters of Britain went to the polls. | | | | that the goods you were buying were inferior to |
| The result of that election would go on to have | | | | those manufactured by the Japanese and the |
| repercussions that can still be felt today. The | | | | Germans. No doubt there are those over the |
| voters made a brave choice. A first for British | | | | pond who currently espouse this as the cure to |
| politics. The good people of the British Isles voted | | | | their industries woes, unfortunately, it didn’t |
| for a woman. At the time, the British car industry | | | | work here and it will never work there. Germany |
| had a few problems and as a result government | | | | and Japan produce cars that sell in every market |
| money, our money, was used to prop up an ailing | | | | in the world. People dream of owning a Mercedes |
| industry that produced bad cars, badly. | | | | Benz or a top of the range Lexus. Not many |
| Controlled by the unions, British Leyland was | | | | people look to General Motors for their next |
| doomed to failure, but had to be supported to | | | | dream car. |
| avoid the losses of hundreds of thousands of | | | | With all of America’s big three deeply in |
| jobs. So it was. Billions of pounds were used to | | | | trouble and even more deeply in debt, Barrack |
| keep a company going that built cars that people | | | | Obama will have a difficult choice to make. Invest |
| did not want to buy. Old technology, poor build | | | | billions of public money to support an industry, |
| quality and union strikes all contributed in making | | | | that to onlookers seems doomed to failure, or |
| the British car industry a laughing stock worldwide. | | | | don’t invest and let capitalism take its course. |
| So what happened to the British car industry? | | | | Either way, this American dilemma certainly bears |
| Simple, it collapsed. Over the following years the | | | | a striking resemblance to the fortunes of the UK |
| profitable bits were sold off to companies that | | | | car industry and we all know what happened to |
| could make cars people wanted to buy. The bits | | | | that. |
| that nobody wanted died a slow painful death, | | | | To survive in any form, American manufacturers |
| notably the Rover brand that finally curled its toes | | | | must try to build cars that will sell in all markets, |
| up in 2005. | | | | domestic and overseas. The problem they face is |
| Fast forward thirty years and American voters | | | | that overseas manufacturers already do this and |
| have just been to the polls. The voters made a | | | | if we’re being brutally honest, they do it quite |
| brave choice. A first for American politics. The | | | | well. So instead of wasting all those billions |
| Good people of the U.S. of A. voted for an | | | | propping up an ailing industry, why not buy |
| African American. As you know, the American | | | | Mercedes or Toyota and move them to the US? |
| auto industry is having a few problems at the | | | | It may cost you more in the short term, but in |
| moment and as a result, government money, | | | | the long term you’ll have a car industry that |
| your money, is being asked for to prop up an | | | | builds quality cars that people will want to buy |
| ailing industry that produces bad cars, badly. | | | | throughout the world. The alternative? Well, take |
| Thirty years ago in Britain there was a huge push | | | | a look at British Leyland. |
| to buy British. A great idea apart from the fact | | | | |