Name some British automakers...

[Wingnut]

The GF asked me after watching a new Volvo commercial where Volvo was made. After I informed her they were Swedish and they won a coveted German award for their design, she asked how many British car makers there were and for the life of me, I can't think of one! The only one I can think of is the Sterling which was Acura powered.

Help me out ladies and gents!

 

[Fardringle]

Austin Healey

 

[vi edit]

TVR
Aston Martin
Lotus
Cooper
Jaguar

 

[Pepsi90919]

Jaguar

 

[Pepsi90919]

dammit vi_edit

 

[Wingnut]

DOH!!!

I can't believe I forgot Jaguar!!!

That's cool, I didn't know Lotus was British. Thanks!

 

[Shantanu]

There's a whole bunch of them... Most are owned by German or American companies though. Here are the famous ones:

Rover
Jaguar
Aston Martin
Bentley
Rolls-Royce
Lotus

The two biggest ones, - which most American's don't know of BTW - are Renault and Vauxhall.

 

[BA]

Triumph, MG

 

[Zenmervolt]

There's also Rover, Morris, Sunbeam, and Jensen, though the last two are very small volume companies if they even still exist (the last I heard of a Sunbeam or a Jensen was a 60's model). Morris was the parent company of MG (Morris Garages) and Morris (not Cooper) made the original Mini, the Mini Cooper was named for a person. Of course, Cooper did make some fabulous racing machines (the Cooper Climax) and this is almost certainly what Vi menat when he mentioned Cooper. Mclaren is British as well. Almost forgot Reliant, they made a neat little 3 wheeled car during the 70's.

Zenmervolt

EDIT: Renault is French, not British and Vauxhall is a GM subsidiary marked to the whole of Europe (I think, but I'm pretty sure that Vauxhall is not natively British).

 

[lupin]

AC, the guys who built the famous Cobra is British.

McLaren is British, but not your average car maker.

Williams is British, but again, they only built racecars.

 

[vi edit]

lookie here

 

[Zenmervolt]

OMG! I forgot about Aston Martin! I have to go do pennance now.

Zenmervolt

 

[yakko]

Jaguar
Lotus
McLeran
Austin Healey
Jensen
Noble
Vauxhall
TVR
Rover
Proton
Morgan
MG
Caterham
Bristol
Aston Martin
AC


These are all I could think of off the top of my head.

 

[Wingnut]

vi_edit...

Thanks for that link but, I wonder why it didn't mention Rover?

Are they a subsidiary of one of those companies?

 

[vi edit]

wingnut, that site is for "supercars". A range rover doesn't exactly have an impressive 0-60 time or an exotic look to it

 

[focusyn]

bentley <-- even tho BMW bought the name
rolls royce <-- bought out by VW

 

[Shantanu]

I guess I was mistaken about Renault, but I'm pretty sure Vauxhall is a British car company.

I have a hard time believing that there would be no native mass market automobile manufacturers in the U.K.

 

[spamboy]

Jaguar - owned by Ford.
Actually most of those companyies are owned by someone else now.

 

[MisterM]

<< I guess I was mistaken about Renault, but I'm pretty sure Vauxhall is a British car company. >>



Vauxhall is a British company, but they were bought by GM some time ago. This is evident if you compare their product lineage with that of Opel (Adam Opel AG.), an German car producer also bought by GM..they have got identically cars, sold under the same name even (Vauxhall Vectra vs. Opel Vectra), the only real difference is that Vauxhall's emblem is some kinda Lion (IIRC, I haven't been to the UK in quite some time), and Opel's is a Ring with an vertical thunderbolt going through it.

 

[Hamburgerpimp]

Nothing good has ever come out of England except Bass beer and........................sh1t, I think that's it!!!