Chinese Hope To Make British Car That Works
Below is a MRR and PLR article in category Arts Entertainment -> subcategory Humor.
Chinese Aim to Revitalize British Car Brand in the US
Summary
Remember the MG? If you ever owned one, you might recall more headaches than horsepower. Now, the Chinese have acquired the MG brand and plan to set up a manufacturing plant in Oklahoma.
The Nanjing Automobile Group, the new owners of the bankrupt MG Rover Group, are poised to become the first Chinese automaker to establish a factory in the U.S. The new MG TF Coupe is expected to hit the road in 2008.
We can only hope they fare better with this iconic brand than the British did.
While I never owned an MG, I did have a Jaguar, another British car known for its quirks. Here's my story, with a note that the brand's performance has since improved under Ford.
Article
Remember the MG? Worse yet, did you own one? If so, you might flinch at the news that the Chinese have acquired the MG brand and plan to manufacture the cars in Oklahoma.
The Nanjing Automobile Group, which recently took over the bankrupt MG Rover Group, aims to be the first Chinese car manufacturer to open a plant in the U.S., launching the MG TF Coupe by 2008. Let’s hope they handle the brand's reputation better than the British did.
I never owned an MG, but I did have a Jaguar, another British vehicle famous for its idiosyncrasies. Here's my experience, with a note that Jaguar’s reliability improved under Ford's ownership.
My Jaguar XJ6 was a visual stunner, but mechanically, it was a nightmare?"a constant battle with multiple issues cropping up simultaneously. To save money, I took it to a shop specializing in MG repairs instead of a Jaguar dealership. There, the owner, an astute Irishman, shared his insight: “You know the British,” he said with a twinkle, “a bunch of socialists. They spot a loose screw on the assembly line, but neither Frank nor Harry bothers to tighten it.”
One day, while parked outside the shop, waiting for repairs, a businessman unexpectedly kicked my car. When I asked why, he confessed, “I used to own one. It drove me mad with problems. I'm sorry?"I couldn’t help myself.”
“That’s alright,” I replied, “I might end up kicking it myself.”
Among the worst issues were a clogged air conditioner drain, which spilled water onto my lap, and headlights that mysteriously shut off when dimmed, leaving me in pitch darkness on the highway. My mechanic dryly explained, “You know what they call the Lucas electrical system, don’t you? The prince of darkness.”
At a car show, I asked a Jaguar dealer, “Why can’t they make a reliable Jaguar?” He simply gestured at the sleek car and said, “But look at it.” If you loved the design, you endured the flaws.
When I finally decided to part ways with the Jaguar due to incessant radiator leaks, I found a buyer who recoiled when I mentioned it was a Jaguar. “That’s the only car we don’t take,” he said.
Eventually, I traded it in for a new American car. It wasn’t perfect, but it was leagues better than my Jaguar.
Though my story veered away from MGs, both brands were plagued by similar careless craftsmanship. In today’s world of precise Japanese assembly, British cars struggle to keep up on the road.
Let's see if the Chinese can transform MG into a brand that works as well as it looks.
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