Taxes, unions, and morons.
In 1947, the taxes on a new car were 33% for car that cost under £1000, and 66% for a car costing more than £1000
In 1950 the tax was a flat 50%
From then til 1979 (not much worth mentioning was made in England) it varied from 60% in 1955 to 17%.
Installment payment method was a ridiculous 50% down, the rest in 24 months in 1956, and by the 1961 was 20% down the rest in 36 monthly.
Union work stoppages, were so out of control, they killed off the car makers almost by themselves. In 1977, British Leyland lost £150 million from just one work stoppage.
Back in the 1950s they wanted to get low employment areas to work, so they moved factory jobs to Wales and Scotland... but that just slowed production as the raw materials were all in the midlands.
Through the 50s, BMC had 13 different engines, at the same time. That wasn't stupid enough, they had 23 body styles.
They didn't learn what a foolish track they were on, and by the 70s they had twice as many models as GM, but only 1/5th the production. The market share dropped by 1/2 in the 1970s malaise era, from only 40% to 20% of the British Market.
Whatever marvelous quality that the British once had when they conquered the world and created the most enormous empire the world ever had has disappeared. The genius of car making that created the Rolls Royce quality and the Jaguar sports car, it dried up, or had been used up. The brighter the flame, the faster the candle burns out.
The Automobile Age, James J. Flink, pages 315-319
In 1947, the taxes on a new car were 33% for car that cost under £1000, and 66% for a car costing more than £1000
In 1950 the tax was a flat 50%
From then til 1979 (not much worth mentioning was made in England) it varied from 60% in 1955 to 17%.
Installment payment method was a ridiculous 50% down, the rest in 24 months in 1956, and by the 1961 was 20% down the rest in 36 monthly.
Union work stoppages, were so out of control, they killed off the car makers almost by themselves. In 1977, British Leyland lost £150 million from just one work stoppage.
Back in the 1950s they wanted to get low employment areas to work, so they moved factory jobs to Wales and Scotland... but that just slowed production as the raw materials were all in the midlands.
Through the 50s, BMC had 13 different engines, at the same time. That wasn't stupid enough, they had 23 body styles.
They didn't learn what a foolish track they were on, and by the 70s they had twice as many models as GM, but only 1/5th the production. The market share dropped by 1/2 in the 1970s malaise era, from only 40% to 20% of the British Market.
Whatever marvelous quality that the British once had when they conquered the world and created the most enormous empire the world ever had has disappeared. The genius of car making that created the Rolls Royce quality and the Jaguar sports car, it dried up, or had been used up. The brighter the flame, the faster the candle burns out.
The Automobile Age, James J. Flink, pages 315-319
