BRITISH CARS

British cars are an integral part of the European automotive industry. Mostly
known for luxurious models, they remain nonetheless popular for their design,
quality and overall performance. The list of British car brands include Jaguar, Mini,
Aston Martin, Rolls Royce, Land Rover and Bentley. One of the largest massproduced car manufacturer remains Vauxhall. McLaren is most famous for the
sports vehicles it has been producing for decades.

LIST AND LOGOS OF ALL BRITISH CAR BRANDS

Top British Car Brands Logo

Main British car manufacturers include Jaguar, Land Rover, Bentley, McLaren and
Aston Martin. History of car manufacturers in UK goes back to the 18th century
when it all started & then started growing significantly in the 19th century. See this
list of all british car brands names and their logos.
MOST POPULAR BRITISH CAR COMPANIES
These are the top currently active auto manufacturers to date.

JAGUAR

Jaguar Logo
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o
o
o
o

Years: 1922 Present

Headquarters: Whitley, Coventry, United Kingdom
Founder/Parent Company: Sir William Lyons and William Walmsley
Website: http://www.jaguar.com
More Information: Jaguar Logo, History and Models

Part of the Jaguar Land Rover consortium, this manufacturer has known a very
complex history. Founded short after the end of the first World War, the whole
Jaguar Land Rover knew 2 consecutive mergers, before being acquired primarily by
Ford and recently by Indian Tata Group.
A trademark in the area of luxury cars, Jaguar is planning on developing new
models that use recent technologies (most certainly, the possibility of electric

vehicles will be explored). For fulfilling this purpose, the group will be opening an
extensive research centre within the university of Warwick, Coventry.

Jaguar Sports Car

For the time being, however, the brand enjoys public acclaim thanks to its XE
version, the first model built using modular architecture. It is the same model that
will be the object of a Stella McCartney collaboration: a number of models will be
draped and sold in a distinctive Superhero print, part of her 2015 collection.
LAND ROVER

Land Rover Logo

o
o
o

Years: 1948 Present

Headquarters: Whitley, Coventry, United Kingdom
Founder/Parent Company: Jaguar Land Rover

o
o

Website: http://www.landrover.com
More Information: Land Rover Logo, History and Models

The other half of the famous namesake consortium (Land Rover Jaguar), Land
Rover is the only brand that dared to challenge powerful American SUVs when it
first came out.
The brand found inspiration in the American Jeep for the creation of the first allterrain vehicle.
Newer models, such as the Range Rover, the Range Rover Sport, Range Rover
Evoque or Discovery benefit from immense popularity, especially due to association
with famous stars such as Victoria Beckham (for the Evoque).

Land Rover SUV

In spite of being a pricier vehicle, its well-renowned performance and exquisite
design place it among top preferences when it comes to modern SUVs.
Moreover, the Range Rover occupies second place in the top automobiles in 2014
worldwide.
MINI

Mini Logo
o
o
o
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Years: 1909 Present

Headquarters: Longbridge, England, United Kingdom
Founder/Parent Company: British Motor Corporation
Website: http://www.mini.com
More Information: Mini Logo, History and Models

In its early beginnings, the Mini was a small economy automobile, iconic for the
middle class in UK. Nowadays it is manufactured by German BMW, which has only
kept the name, but radically transformed the entire structure.
Its distinctive design, combined with the above average performance, made the
brand extremely popular to people living in urban areas. With 8 different models
undergoing continuous production, this automaker looks like its here to stay.

Mini Cooper
2014 also comes with a reinvention of the former Mini Cooper, the Mini Cooper S.

ASTON MARTIN

Aston Martin Logo

o
o
o
o
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Years: 1913 Present

Headquarters: Gaydon, Warwickshire, England, United Kingdom
Founder/Parent Company: Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford
Website: http://www.astonmartin.com/
More Information: Aston Martin Logo, History and Models

Another famous sports car from Britain is the Aston Martin. Part of many
Hollywood productions that underline the brands exquisite design and dynamics,
this car remains emblematic for luxurious expensive vehicles.
Beginning in Great Britain, the brand has also known American ownership from the
auto giant Ford, for more than a decade.

Aston Martin Coupe

The 12 models that this company is manufacturing at the moment are sold
worldwide. The older models continue to be auctioned for flabbergasting prices,
while newer ones give buyers the possibility to personalize them. For instance, the
Vanquish Carbon Edition shows off with a unique identity, combining carbon fiber
in the exterior and a Bang & Olufsen audio system in the interior.
BENTLEY

Bentley Logo
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o
o
o
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Years: 1919 Present

Headquarters: Crewe, England, United Kingdom
Founder/Parent Company: M. Bentley and W. O. Bentley
Website: http://www.bentleymotors.com
More Information: Bentley Logo, History and Models

Bentley has been known as destined for the financially potent ones. Being the sole
provider of limousines for the royalty in UK, one may be inclined to believe its
exclusively the apanage of the rich.
Nonetheless, more and more high-class vehicle lovers worldwide indulge in the
pleasure of buying a Bentley, notably known for its lush and spacious interiors. The
Mulsanne luxury sedan was chosen as the best luxury car of the year in 2013 by
the public in Great Britain.

Bentley Continental GT
This automaker was part of the Rolls Royce consortium, before being finally
acquired by Volkswagen in 1997.
ROLLS ROYCE

Rolls Royce Logo

o
o
o
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Years: 1998 Present

Headquarters: Goodwood, England, United Kingdom
Founder/Parent Company: BMW
Website: http://www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com/
More Information: Rolls-Royce Logo, History and Models

Volkswagen ultimately acquired Rolls Royce Motors, the company founded in the
seventies. In 1998, the brand was sold to BMW, which continued to sell the Rolls
Royce limousine under the same name.

Rolls Royce 2 Door

Rolls Royce sales are known to be less substantial than the Bentley ones,
proportion being 1 to 2. Nonetheless, the company remains emblematic for
exquisite luxury. In fact its newest version of Phantom even features an 18 karat
gold exterior and interior. Rolls Royce took British cars to an exception height.
MCLAREN

McLaren Logo
o
o
o
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o

Years: 1989 Present

Headquarters: McLaren Technology Centre, Surrey, England
Founder/Parent Company: Ron Dennis
Website: http://www.mclarenautomotive.com/
More Information: McLaren Logo, History and Models

McLaren has mostly been known for its involvement with Formula One. By using
the technology specific to race cars, McLaren managed to achieve impressive

performance. It was this technology that ultimately imposed this vehicle as a

trademark for sports cars, in general.

McLaren Coupe
Present model P1, remembering McLarens F1, brings a dramatic improvement to
both look and feel. The majestic, futuristic design, combined with the charismatic
carbon filter interior, definitely make it one of the most desirable sports cars to
own.
OTHER ACTIVE AUTO MANUFACTURERS FROM UK
These are some other currently active automakers from UK that are not very
popular but they exist in the market.
AC CARS LTD

AC Cars Ltd
o
o
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Years: 1901 Present

Headquarters: Thames Ditton, Surrey, United Kingdom
Founder/Parent Company: The Weller Brothers
Website: http://www.ac-automotive.com

AC Cars, formerly known as Auto Carries, is the oldest British car manufacturer. It
has been manufacturing vehicles for more than 110 years and still continues to
create impressive rides that will simply blow away your mind. For now, the
company hasnt been manufacturing any vehicles, but after signing an agreement
of a joint venture with the US, it might be possible that a new model might be
released this year.
ASCARI CARS LTD

Ascari Cars Ltd

o
o
o
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Years: 1995 Present

Headquarters: Banbury, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
Founder/Parent Company: Klaas Zwart
Website: http://www.ascari.net/

Ascari Cars is an automobile manufacturer based in Banbury, UK that mainly

specializes in creating sports vehicles. The company was established back in 1995
and introduced its first model in 1998. Soon after releasing the Ascari Ecosse, the
company was purchased by a businessman and now focuses on manufacturing
road and race cars.
BRIGGS AUTOMOTIVE COMPANY (BAC)

Briggs Automotive Company (BAC)

o
o
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Years: 2009 Present

Headquarters: Speke, Liverpool, United Kingdom
Founder/Parent Company: Neill and Ian Briggs
Website: http://www.bac-mono.com/

The BAC is a sports car manufacturing company based in Speke, Liverpool. The
company was mainly created to manufacture sports vehicles with a central-seat
format to provide a better racing experience for race enthusiasts. The company
introduced its first vehicle in 2011 which has even made its appearance in the
popular racing game Need for Speed: Most Wanted.
CATERHAM CARS

Caterham Cars
o
o
o
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Years: 1963 Present

Headquarters: Crawley, Sussex, England
Founder/Parent Company: Caterham Group
Website: http://www.caterhamcars.com/

Caterham Cars is an auto production company that specializes mainly in producing

the most lightweight sports vehicles. The company was founded in 1963, originally
launched in 1973 and introduced its first vehicle in 1974, named the Caterham 7,
which is regarded as one of the most iconic sports car of the 20 th century. Apart
from sports cars, the company manufactures normal road vehicles, the most
popular being the Caterham 21.
GINETTA

Ginetta
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o
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Years: 1958 Present

Headquarters: Leeds, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Founder/Parent Company: Walklett brothers
Website: http://www.ginetta.com/

Ginetta is another company that manufactures sports and racing cars. The
company was founded by the Walklett brothers back in 1958 and introduced its
first vehicle, the Ginetta G1, in 1959. The company originally started gaining
popularity during the 70s and 80s and now holds a good position in the auto racing
industry.
INVICTA

Invicta Logo
o
o
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Years: 1905 Present

Headquarters: Cobham, Surrey, Chelsea, London, Virginia Water
Founder/Parent Company: Noel Macklin

Website: Not Available

Invicta is a popular automaker that has gone through many incarnations. It was first
founded in 1905, but didnt last a year. Then, it was bought back again in 1913 to
1914. After that, the company shifted to Chelsea where it lasted from 1925 to 1950.
Then, after 54 years, the company was reincarnated once again in 2004.
NON-ACTIVE CAR MAKES LIST OF UK
These are the defunct automakers from UK, who could not survive and ultimately
had to close down. Nonetheless they were an integral part of the British automobile
industry.
ALLDAYS & ONIONS

Alldays & Onions

Years: 1898 1918
Headquarters: Birmingham, West Midlands, UK
Founder/Parent Company: The Alldays & Onions Pneumatic Engineering
Co
o
Website: Not Available
o
o
o

Alldays & Onions was a merged automotive organization of William Allday & Co.
(formed by William Allday in 1720) and Onions (formed by John Onions in 1650).
The company started manufacturing vehicles back in 1904 and went on till 1914.
Soon, after gaining a lot of success, the company decided to merge with Enfield.
BELSIZE MOTORS

Belsize Motors
o
o
o
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Years: 1901 1925

Headquarters: Manchester, England
Founder/Parent Company: Marshall & Company
Website: Not Available

Belsize Motors was an automobile manufacturer based in Manchester, England.

The company first used to build and sell bicycles, but then soon enough, after
joining with Marshall & Company, introduced its first vehicle in 1901. The
manufacturer continued production till 1917 and introduced an after-war vehicle
that gained a lot of popularity. However, due to some unknown reasons, the
company was told to seize production and soon ended in 1925.
CHATER-LEA

Chater Lea Logo

o
o
o
o

Years: 1907 1922

Headquarters: Letchworth, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
Founder/Parent Company: William Chater-Lea
Website: Not Available

Chater-Lea was initially a motorcycle and bicycle manufacturing company in

Letchworth, Hertfordshire. The company made cars between 1907 and 1922 and
bikes from 1903 and 1935. The company shut down in 1922, but stopped
manufacturing vehicles. Later, in 1927, after William died, Chater-Lea was taken
over by his sons. However, it was unable to meet production deadlines and ended
up in loss, thus causing the company to come to an end.
JAMES AND BROWNE

James and Browne

o
o
o
o

Years: 1901 1910

Headquarters: Hammersmith, London
Founder/Parent Company: Not Available
Website: Not Available

James and Browne was a popular automobile manufacturer that was based in
Hammersmith, London. The company manufactured vehicles from 1901 to 1910
and was one of the first few companies to introduce the steering wheels in their
vehicles.

The automotive industry in the United Kingdom is now best known for premium and
sports car marques including Aston Martin, Bentley, Daimler, Jaguar, Lagonda, Land
Rover, Lotus,McLaren, MG, Mini, Morgan and Rolls-Royce. Volume car manufacturers
with a major presence in the UK include Honda, Nissan, Toyota and Vauxhall
Motors (subsidiary of Adam Opel AG, itself a wholly owned subsidiary
of GM). Commercial vehicle manufacturers active in the UK include Alexander
Dennis, Ford, GMM Luton (owned by Adam Opel AG), Leyland Trucks(owned
by Paccar) and London Taxis International (owned by Geely).
In 2008 the UK automotive manufacturing sector had a turnover of 52.5 billion,
generated 26.6 billion of exports and produced around 1.45 million passenger vehicles
and 203,000 commercial vehicles. In that year around 180,000 people were directly
employed in automotive manufacturing in the UK, with a further 640,000 people
employed in automotive supply, retail and servicing. The UK is a major centre for engine
manufacturing and in 2008 around 3.16 million engines were produced in the
country. The UK has a significant presence in auto racing and the UK motorsport
industry currently employs around 38,500 people, comprises around 4,500 companies
and has an annual turnover of around 6 billion.
The origins of the UK automotive industry date back to the final years of the 19th
century. By the 1950s the UK was the second-largest manufacturer of cars in the world
(after the United States) and the largest exporter. However, in subsequent decades the
industry experienced considerably lower growth than competitor nations such as
France, Germany and Japan and by 2008 the UK was the 12th-largest producer of cars
measured by volume. Since the early 1990s many British car marques have been
acquired by foreign companies including BMW(Mini and RollsRoyce), SAIC (MG), TATA (Jaguar and Land Rover) and Volkswagen Group (Bentley).
Rights to many currently dormant marques, including Austin, Riley, Rover andTriumph,
are also owned by foreign companies.
Famous and iconic British cars include the Aston Martin DB5, Aston Martin V8
Vantage, Bentley 4 Litre, Jaguar E-Type, Land Rover Defender, Lotus Esprit, McLaren
F1, MGB, original two-door Mini, Range Rover, Rolls-Royce Phantom III and Rover
P5. Notable British car designers include Laurence Pomeroy, John Polwhele
Blatchley, Ian Callum, Colin Chapman, Alec Issigonis, Charles Spencer
King and Gordon Murray.
History
1896 to 1900

Frederick Simms in his Motor Scout, in June 1899.

The inception of the British motor industry can be
traced back to the late 1880s, when Frederick Simms,
a London-based consulting engineer, became friends
with Gottlieb Daimler, who had, in 1885, patented a
successful design for a high-speed petrol engine.
Simms acquired the British rights to Daimler's engine
and associated patents and from 1891 successfully
sold launches using these Cannstatt-made motors from Eel Pie Islandin the Thames. In
1893 he formed The Daimler Motor Syndicate Limited for his various Daimler-related
enterprises.
In June 1895 Simms and his friend Evelyn Ellis promoted motorcars in the United
Kingdom by bringing a Daimler-engined Panhard & Levassor to England and in July it
completed, without police intervention, the first British long-distance motorcar journey
from Southampton to Malvern.[10]
Simms' documented plans to manufacture Daimler motors and Daimler Motor Carriages
(in Cheltenham) were taken over, together with his company and its Daimler licences,
by London company-promoter H J Lawson. Lawson contracted to buy The Daimler
Motor Syndicate Limited and all its rights and on 14 January 1896 formed and in
February successfully floated in London The Daimler Motor Company Limited. It then
purchased from a friend of Lawson a disused cotton mill in Coventry for car engine and
chassis manufacture where, it is claimed, the UK's first serial production car was made.

Daimler shooting brake 6 hp, twin-cylinder, 1526 cc

engine, mounted at the front of the car, four-speed
gearbox and chain drive manufactured Coventry 1897
in the UK's first series production run
Louwman Museum
The claim for the first all-British motor car is contested,
but George Lanchester's first cars of 1895 and 1896
did include French and German components. In 1891
Richard Stephens, a mining engineer from South Wales, returned from a commission in
Michigan to establish a bicycle works in Clevedon, Somerset. Whilst in America he had
seen the developments in motive power and by 1897 he had produced his first car. This
was entirely of his own design and manufacture, including the two-cylinder engine, apart
from the wheels which he bought from Starley in Coventry. This was probably the first
all-British car and Stephens set up a production line, manufacturing in all, twelve
vehicles, including four- and six-seater cars and hackneys, and nine-seater buses.
Early motor vehicle development in the UK had been effectively stopped by a series
of Locomotive Acts introduced during the 19th century which severely restricted the use
of mechanically propelled vehicles on the public highways. Following intense advocacy
by motor vehicle enthusiasts, including Harry J. Lawson of Daimler, the worst

restrictions of these acts, (the need for each vehicle to be accompanied by a crew of
three, and a 2 mph (3.2 km/h) speed limit in towns), was lifted by the Locomotives on
Highways Act 1896. Under this regulation, light locomotives (those vehicles under
3 tons unladen weight) were exempt from the previous restrictions, and a higher speed
limit 14 mph (23 km/h) was set for them. To celebrate the new freedoms Lawson
organised the Emancipation Run held on 14 November 1896, the day the new Act came
into force. This occasion has been commemorated since 1927 by the annual London to
Brighton Veteran Car Run.
1900 to 1939
The Rolls-Royce 10 hp, which was the first car to be
produced as a result of the agreement
between Charles Rollsand Henry Royce.
The early British vehicles of the late 19th century relied
mainly upon developments from Germany and France.
By 1900 however, the first all-British 4-wheel car had
been designed and built by Herbert Austin as manager
of The Wolseley Sheep Shearing Machine Company.
In 1901, backed by (Vickers Limited) brothers 'Colonel Tom' and Albert Vickers, Austin
started what became Wolseley Motors Limited in Birmingham and UK's largest car
manufacturer until Ford in 1913.
The great bulk of the pioneering car producers, many of them from the bicycle industry,
got off to a shaky start. Of the 200 British makes of car that had been launched up until
1913, only about 100 of the firms were still in existence. In 1910 UK vehicle production
was 14,000 units. By 1913 Henry Ford had built a new factory in Manchester and was
the leading UK producer, building 7310 cars that year, followed by Wolseley at
3000, Humber(making cars since 1898 in Coventry) at 2500, Rover (Coventry car
maker since 1904) at 1800 and Sunbeam (producing cars since 1901) at 1700, with the
plethora of smaller producers bringing the 1913 total up to about 16,000 vehicles. Car
production virtually came to an end during the war years 19141918, although the
requirements of war production led to the development of new mass-production
techniques in the motor industry.

A 1934 MG PA
By 1922 there were 183 motor companies in the UK,
and by 1929, following the slump years, there were 58
companies remaining. In 1929 production was
dominated by Morris (founded by William Morris in
1910 inOxford) and Austin (founded by Herbert Austin
in Birmingham in 1905 after he left Wolseley) which between them produced around
60% of total UK output. Singer (Coventry motorcycle manufacturer started building cars
in 1905) followed in third place that year with 15% of production.

In 1932 the UK overtook France to become Europe's largest car producer (a position
which it retained until 1955). In 1937 the UK produced 379,310 passenger cars and
113,946 commercial vehicles. To celebrate the granting of his peerage, William Morris
upon becoming Viscount Nuffield, reorganised his motor vehicle companies in 1938,
which by then included not only Morris Motors and MG, but also Wolseley
and Riley (bicycle company founded in Coventry in 1890 and making cars since 1913),
into the Nuffield Organisation. In 1939 the top producers were Morris: 27%, Austin:
24%, Ford: 15%, Standard (founded in Coventry in 1903): 13%, Rootes (which had
acquired Humber and Sunbeam): 11%, Vauxhall (building cars since 1903, acquired
by GM in 1925): 10%.
1939 to 1955
The Land Rover Series I, introduced in 1948.
During the Second World War car production in the UK
gave way to commercial and military vehicle production,
and many motor vehicle plants were converted to aircraft
and aero engine production. Following the war the
government controlled the supply of steel, and priority
was given to supplying foreign-revenue-raising export
businesses. In 1947 steel was available only to businesses which exported at least 75%
of their production. This, coupled with the inevitably limited competition from continental
Europe, and with demand for new vehicles in America and in Australia being greater
than the American industry alone could supply, resulted in British vehicle exports
reaching record levels and the UK became the world's largest motor vehicle exporter. In
1937 the UK provided 15% of world vehicle exports. By 1950, a year in which 75% of
British car production and 60% of its commercial vehicle production was exported, the
UK provided 52% of the world's exported vehicles.
This situation remained until the mid-1950s, by which time the American industry
production had caught up with American demand, and European production was
recovering. By 1952 the American owned producers in the UK (Ford and GM's Vauxhall)
had between them a 29% share of the British market, which exceeded the share of
either of the UK's two top domestically owned manufacturers. It was in that context that
Viscount Nuffield agreed to the merger of his company, the Nuffield Organisation, with
Austin, to form the British Motor Corporation (BMC). Thus BMC, comprising Austin,
Morris, MG, Riley and Wolseley was formed in 1952 and commanded a 40% share of
the British market. German production was increasing yearly, and by 1953 it had
exceeded that of France, and by 1956 it had overtaken that of the UK.
1955 to 1968
Jaguar E-type (introduced 1961)
By 1955 five companies produced 90% of the UK's
motor vehicle output: BMC, Ford, Rootes, Standard-

Triumph and Vauxhall. Of the dozen or so smaller producers Rover and Jaguar were
strong niche producers. By 1960 the UK had dropped from being the world's second
largest motor vehicle producer into third place. Labour-intensive methods, and wide
model ranges hindered opportunities to reduce manufacturing costs the UK's unit
costs were higher than those of their major Japanese, European and American
competitors. Although rationalisation of motor vehicle companies had started, full
integration did not occur. BMC continued to produce vehicles under the marque names
of its incorporated companies, many of which competed with each other. StandardTriumph's attempts to reduce costs by embracing a modern volume production strategy
almost led to their bankruptcy in 1960, the result was that they were purchased by
the commercial vehicle manufacturing company Leyland Motors. In 1966, BMC and
Jaguar came together, to form British Motor Holdings (BMH). Leyland had achieved
some sales success with Leyland-Triumph and in 1967 it acquired Rover. By 1966 the
UK had slipped to become the world's fourth largest motor vehicle producer. Following a
gradual process which had begun in 1964, Chrysler UK (CUK) had fully acquired
Rootes by 1967.

1967 Mini (introduced 1959)

In the context of BMC's wide, complex, and expensiveto-produce model range, Ford's conventionally
designed Cortina challenging for the number one spot
in the domestic market, and the heavy reliance of the
British economy on motor vehicle production, in 1968
the Government brokered the merger of the successful Leyland-Triumph-Rover and the
struggling BMH, to form Europe's fourth-largest car maker, the British Leyland Motor
Corporation (BLMC). The new company announced its intention to invest in a new
volume car range, and to equip its factories with the latest capital-intensive production
methods.
BMC's Mini, designed by Alec Issigonis, had revolutionized the small car market in
1959, and the car remained among the UK's best selling cars for more than 20 years
after its launch, the last version finally rolling off the production line after 41 years.
The Rootes Group launched the similar-sizedHillman Imp four years later, but by the
end of the 1960s Ford and Vauxhall had yet to launch a comparable product, and even
with foreign imports slowly starting to gain ground on the British market, Italy's Fiat
500 was one of the few comparable alternatives to the virtual monopoly of the Mini and
Hillman Imp in this sector of the market.
Also designed by Alec Issigonis was the Morris Minor, which was heavily updated in
1956 having originally gone into production in 1948. It earned a reputation for low
running costs, good reliability and competitive pricing, and continued to sell well
throughout the 1960s in spite of the popularity of BMC's 1100/1300 range which was
launched in 1962. Ford's competitor in this sector was the Anglia, which featured
unconventional styling but was still one of the country's most successful cars from its
launch in 1959 up to the end of production in 1967, after which it was replaced by

the Escort. Other British competitors in this sector were the Vauxhall Viva and Hillman
Minx.
Larger family cars enjoyed strong sales in the 1960s, namely the Ford
Cortina (launched in 1962), Austin/Morris 1800 (1964) and Vauxhall Victor (1957). Later
in the 1960s, the Rootes Group launched a new competitor in this growing sector of the
market - the Hillman Hunter.
The Rover P6, launched in 1963 and the first winner of the European Car of the
Year award, was arguably the most popular luxury model in the UK during the 1960s.
The iconic Jaguar E-Type sports car, with a top speed of 145 mph and the choice of a
coupe or roadster bodystyle, was launched in 1961 and would remain in production until
1975. Cheaper sports cars also enjoyed strong sales during the 1960s, including
the MG B and Triumph Spitfire which were launched in the early part of the decade, and
the Ford Capri which was launched just before the decade's end.
1968 to 1987
The first-generation Range Rover, which was in
production from 1970 to 1996.
By 1968 UK motor vehicle production was dominated by
four companies: BLMC, Chrysler (UK), Ford, and
Vauxhall (GM). The Rootes Group had taken on the
name Chrysler UK after its takeover by the American car giant Chrysler, which had also
taken over French carmaker Simca.
The national champion, BLMC (British Leyland from 1968), was handicapped in its
attempts to modernise by internal rivalries. Unattractive new products (particularly
the Austin Allegro and Morris Marina) which were widely criticised by the motoring
press, retention of legacy marques and models, labour disputes, quality issues, supplier
problems and inefficient use of new equipment thwarted the dream of efficient high
volume production. Increased overseas competition, arising from lowered tariffs and
membership of the European Union, and high unit costs, led to low profits, which in turn
jeopardised investment plans.
Japanese cars, particularly the Datsun badged cars built by Nissan enjoyed a strong
surge in popularity during the first half of the 1970s,
while Frenchcarmaker Renault and West German carmaker Volkswagen also enjoyed
an upturn on the British market, helped by the arrival of well received new cars.
The fortunes of foreign carmakers on the British market were also assisted by the fact
that most British manufacturers adopted the hatchback bodystyle, mostly featuring frontwheel drive, considerably later than their continental rivals. For instance, the arrival of
the front-wheel drive Volkswagen Golf hatchback in 1974 came four years before any of
the four British-based carmakers had launched an equivalent car. By the time the first
small British-built hatchback, the Vauxhall Chevette, was launched in 1975, the

French Renault 5 had already been in production for three years. However, British
Leyland's larger Austin Maxi had been sold with a hatchback and front-wheel drive since
its 1969 launch, although it sold similar-sized cars like the Morris Marina and Triumph
Dolomite alongside it as a rear-wheel drive saloon alternative. Chrysler launched
the Alpine for this market sector in 1975, featuring front wheel drive and a hatchback,
but briefly kept the Hunter in production alongside it for buyers who still preferred rearwheel drive and a saloon or estate bodystyle. At the luxury end of the market, British
Leyland was actually one of the first manufacturers in the world to put a hatchback on
an upmarket car when it launched the Rover SD1 in 1976.
The popularity of Nissan's range of Datsun-badged cars in the 1970s was largely down
to their low prices, cheap running costs, good equipment levels and a reputation for
better reliability than most British cars, although these cars also went on to gain a
reputation for being prone to rust.
BLMC's share of the UK market dropped from 40% to 32% between 1971 and 1973,
with its new Morris Marina and Austin Allegro family cars selling well on the British
market but not proving popular on many export markets, with the motoring media being
critical of the styling of these new models as well as questions regarding the level of
quality.

The Triumph Dolomite Sprint, in production from

1973 to 1980.
By 1974 the UK's position as a world motor vehicle
manufacturer had dropped to sixth place. In 1974,
both BLMC and Chrysler UK appealed to the
Government for financial help. The Government
rejected the idea of a BLMC/CUK merger, and instead
CUK received a loan and BLMC was subjected to a series of studies to determine its
future. The Government's official BLMC enquiry, led by Lord Ryder, suggested that
BLMC's strategy was sound, but required huge Government investment to improve
productivity by providing mechanisation and improving labour relations.
Despite the effective nationalisation of BLMC as British Leyland (BL) in 1975, the
recovery never happened. Chrysler sold its European interests (including those in the
UK) to Peugeot in 1978, to allow it to concentrate on its own difficulties in America. The
UK interests were renamed Peugeot-Talbot, with production of the Chrysler-developed
cars continuing, with the last Rootes-developed car, the Avenger, being discontinued in
1981. Peugeot also developed a saloon version of the Alpine called the Solara, and also
launched the larger Tagora, which had been in development by Chrysler when it sold its
European operations. It also replaced the entry-level Sunbeam with
the Peugeot based Samba in 1981.
As in most other developed countries, the 1970s saw major changes to the cars
produced in the UK. Front-wheel drive, which had been pioneered by BMC on several

new models between 1959 and 1965, now became a common feature on family cars
after decades of producing only rear-wheel drive models. The hatchback bodystyle,
which had debuted in Europe on the French Renault 16 in 1965, became more popular.

The Austin Metro, which was introduced in 1980

By the end of the 1970s Ford, Peugeot-Talbot and
Vauxhall (GM) were well integrated with their parent
companies' other European operations. BL stood alone
in the UK as an increasingly junior player. As part of the
drive for increased productivity in the late 1970s, BL
reduced its workforce and number of plants, and strived to centralise its management
activities. The city of Coventry suffered particularly badly, with many thousands
becoming unemployed after the closure of the Triumph car factory in the city in 1980.
In 1979, BL struck a collaboration deal with Honda to share the development and
production of a new mid-sized car (Triumph Acclaim/Honda Ballade), which was
launched in 1981. The new car combined Honda engine and transmission designs with
a BL body. The next plan was the work on a new luxury car together, the end product
being the Rover 800 Series, which arrived in 1986.
Although the UK political scene changed in 1979 with the election of the Thatcher
government, the Government continued to support BL with funds for the development of
a new mass-market model range (Mini Metro, Maestro, Montego and another Honda
collaboration the Rover 800), which were all launched between 1980 and 1986. The
Metro was the most successful of these cars.
Car assembly, with the exception of Jaguars, was concentrated into two central plants
Longbridge and Cowley. In July 1986 BL was renamed the Rover Group.
By the mid 1980s, front-wheel drive was now the rule rather than the exception on mass
market cars, with most new models having a hatchback bodystyle as at least an option.
Although Ford had adopted front-wheel drive for its new Spanish built Fiesta supermini
in 1976 and the third generation Escort in 1980, it had curiously retained rear-wheel
drive for its larger Sierra(the Cortina replacement) in 1982, although the Sierra did
feature a hatchback bodystyle and was not available as a saloon until 1987. In 1983, it
recognised the continuing demand for smaller and medium-sized family saloons by
introducing the Orion, which was based on the Escort floorpan.
The supermini sector had expanded rapidly since the early 1970s. BMC's Mini had
remained popular beyond its 20th anniversary, but successor organization British
Leyland had started work on a more modern and practical alternative by the mid 1970s,
the final result being the Austin Metro in 1980 - the new car featured more modern
styling and a hatchback bodystyle.Chrysler Europe had axed the long-running Hillman
Imp (launched by the Rootes Group in 1963) in 1976 and replaced it with the Chrysler
Sunbeam hatchback a year later. General Motorshad already adopted this bodystyle

with the Vauxhall Chevette (which was also available as a saloon or estate)
and Ford with the Fiesta. Comparable foreign products like the Fiat 127,Renault
5 and Volkswagen Polo were also proving popular in the UK.
Ford had now divided its European operations between its British factories and other
European plants in Spain, Belgium and West Germany. General Motors had started
importing some of its West German and Belgian built Opel products to the UK to be
badged as Vauxhalls, and by 1983 its Nova supermini (badged as the Opel Corsa on
the continent) was built solely in its Spanish factory. Peugeot was dividing production of
most of the Talbot badged vehicles between the Ryton plant
near Coventry (the Linwood plant in Scotland closed in 1981) and its French factories
by the early 1980s, and started producing its own models at Coventry in 1985 after
deciding to axe the Talbot marque due to falling sales.
Foreign carmakers continued to gain ground on the British market during the 1980s,
with the likes
of Renault, Peugeot, Citroen (France), Volvo (Sweden), Volkswagen (West Germany)
andFiat (Italy) proving particularly popular. Nissan had axed the Datsun brand by 1984
and used its own name on all cars, and in 1986 opened a factory in Britain
near Sunderland, which produced the mid-range Bluebird hatchbacks and saloons,
although it was the Japanese-built Micra which was the company's best-selling car in
Britain during the 1980s.
The decade also saw the arrival of purpose-built people carriers on the British market,
starting with the Japanese Mitsubishi Space Wagon in 1984, and then the marketleading Renault Espace in 1985, but by the end of the decade this type of vehicle still
had only a very small share of the British market and there were still no British-built
people carriers available, although a few seven-seater estate models including Austin
Rover's Montege were being produced.
The decade also saw a fall in demand for sports cars, perhaps due to the rising
popularity of "hot hatchbacks" (high performance versions of hatchback cars), and so a
number of manufacturers pulled out of the sports car market. British Leyland finished
production of its MG and Triumph sports cars early in the decade, with no
replacement. General Motors had launched coupe versions of its Cavalier mid-range
model in the 1970s, but did not produce any equivalent models of the MK2 Cavalier
which arrived in 1981. It did, however, continue to offer the German-built Opel Manta to
British buyers until the end of production in 1988, replacing it with the Calibra (also built
in Germany) a year later. Ford had enjoyed success in the 1970s with its Capri coupe,
but this declined in popularity after 1980 and when production ended in 1986, there was
no direct replacement.
1987 to 2001

The Rover 600 Series, in production from 1993 to

1999
In July 1986, Nissan became the first Japanese
carmaker to set up a production facility in Europe,
when it opened a new plant in Sunderland. The plant
initially produced the Bluebird and from 1990 its
successor, the Primera, with the MK2 Micra joining it in 1992. Toyota opened a new
plant in Burnaston near Derby at the beginning of 1992.
Peugeot started production of the Peugeot 309 hatchback at Ryton (originally a Rootes
Group factory) in January 1986, followed by the Peugeot 405at the end of 1987.[citation
needed]
As the 1990s progressed, production of the 306 and 206 also began at Ryton.
Honda's venture with Austin Rover/Rover Group saw a number of different designs
shared between the two marques. The venture came to an end in February 1994
when British Aerospace sold Rover Group to the German carmaker BMW for 800
million. The takeover meant that, for the first time in 112 years, the United Kingdom no
longer had a British-owned volume car maker. BMW's ownership of the Rover Group
saw the development of several newer, more upmarket models, giving the British brand
an image to match that of its parent company. BMW also revived theMG marque in
1995 on a new affordable sports car, the MGF, as well as strengthening Land Rover's
position in the off-roader market. In March 2000 BMW controversially announced the
break-up of the Rover Group. It retained the rights to the Mini marque, while selling
Land Rover to Ford. The MG and Rover marques were sold to the Phoenix Consortium,
who branded the remains of the group as MG Rover and concentrated all production at
the Longbridge plant. After the split from Rover, Honda continued making
the Civic range in the UK at a new plant in Swindon.

The Bentley Arnage, in production from 1998 to

2009
Ford acquired Aston Martin for an undisclosed sum in
September 1987 and Jaguar for US$2.38 billion in
November 1989. Production of the new small Jaguar, the X type, started at Halewood in
late 2000. By the end of the century, Ford had also acquired Land Rover.
In 1998 Vickers plc put Rolls-Royce Motors, including Bentley, up for
auction. Volkswagen Group won the auction with a bid of US$780 million, butRollsRoyce plc, which had the right to block a transfer of the Rolls-Royce name to non-British
owners, agreed to sell the rights to BMW for US$65 million. It was subsequently agreed
that control of the Rolls-Royce marque would pass from Volkswagen to BMW in 2003.
In 1995, Ford finally entered the decade-old people carrier market with its Galaxy, which
was built in Portugal alongside the identical Volkswagen Sharan and Seat Alhambra as
part of a venture between Ford and Volkswagen. Vauxhall entered this sector of the
market a year later with the American-built Sintra, but this was not popular with British

buyers and was discontinued after just three years when the smaller, Germanbuilt Zafirawas launched, and proved far more popular than Vauxhall's original entry into
the MPV market.
The affordable sports car market enjoyed a revival in the 1990s after going into virtual
hibernation in the 1980s. Sparked by the popularity of the Japanese-built Mazda
MX5 after its launch in 1989, Rover began development on a new sports car in the early
1990s, finally launching the MG F two-seater roadster in 1995, 15 years after the
demise of the last volume MG sports cars. The 1996 Lotus Elise also enjoyed relatively
strong sales in this market sector, as did the Vauxhall VX220 (based on the Elise) which
was launched in 2000. Ford, which had exited the sports car market by 1987 with the
demise of the Capri to concentrate on faster versions of its best-selling hatchbacks and
saloons, returned to this market sector in 1994 with the American-builtProbe, and then
enjoyed more success with its smaller Puma between 1997 and 2002.
2001 to 2011

The Lotus Evora, which was launched in 2008

In May 2000 Ford announced that passenger car
assembly as its Dagenham plant would cease in 2002,
ending 90 years of Ford passenger car assembly in the
UK. At the same time Ford announced that it would
invest US$500 million in the expansion of a diesel
engine factory at the site, making Dagenham its largest diesel engine center worldwide
and creating about 500 new jobs to offset the 1,900 lost in vehicle assembly. In
December 2004 Ford announced a further investment of 169 million in the Dagenham
plant, increasing annual output to one million diesel engines.
The closure of Vauxhall's Luton car assembly plant in March 2003 left Ellesmere Port as
the sole Vauxhall assembly plant remaining in the UK. General Motors also retained the
former Bedford works in Luton for producing vans such as the Vivaro and
the Movano as well as Renault and Nissan badged variants. In April 2007, it was
confirmed that the Ellesmere Port would produce the next generation Astra from 2010.
Losses at Jaguar led to closure of the company's Browns Lane plant in Coventry in
2004. Spare capacity at Halewood allowed Land Rover Freelander production to be
transferred there in 2006.
MG Rover spent the early part of the 2000s investigating possible ventures with other
carmakers in order to develop a new range of cars. Proposed links with foreign
organisations including Malaysian carmaker Proton failed to materialise, and by late
2004 Chinese carmaker SAIC Motor had shown an interest in taking over the
Longbridge-based firm which was now hundreds of millions of pounds in debt. Talks
broke down and the firm went into receivership in April 2005 with the loss of more than
6,000 jobs. Three months later, the firm's assets were purchased by another Chinese

carmaker Nanjing Automobile and Longbridge partially re-opened over the summer
of 2007 with an initial workforce of around 250 preparing to restart production of the MG
TF which was relaunched in August 2008.

The Aston Martin DBS V12, in production since

2007
In April 2006 Peugeot closed its Ryton plant and
moved 206 production to Slovakia. In 2007, Ford
sold Aston Martin to a British-led Consortium backed
by Middle East investors, retaining a small stake in the
company and agreeing to continue the supply of
components including engines. In 2008 Ford sold Jaguar Land Rover to Tata Motors of
India for 1.15 billion. In November 2009, Dutch sportscar maker Spyker
Carsannounced that it would be moving production from Zeewolde to Whitley, Coventry,
and UK production began in February 2010.
In March 2010 McLaren Automotive unveiled its MP4-12C model, alongside plans to
produce around 4,000 cars per year at its Woking factory by the middle of the
decade. At the Paris Motor Show in September 2010 Lotus Cars unveiled five new
models due to go on sale by 2016, alongside plans for an investment of 770 million
over 10 years, the complete redevelopment of its Hethel factory and an increase in
production from under 3,000 cars per year to 6,000 to 7,000. In December 2010 it was
announced that Renault had sold its remaining 25% shareholding in its eponymous
Formula 1 team to Lotus Cars, and that the team would be renamed Lotus Renault in
2011.

2011 to present
The MG 6, which entered production in the UK in 2011
In January 2011 BMW announced that it would be
extending the Mini range with the launch of two new
two-door sports crossover vehicles based on the Mini
Paceman concept car, with a coupe version to enter production in 2011 and a roadster
in 2012. In March 2011 Jaguar Land Roverannounced that it would be hiring an
additional 1,500 staff at its Halewood plant, and signed over 2 billion of supply
contracts with UK-based companies, to enable production of its new Range Rover
Evoque model. In April 2011 the MG Motor subsidiary of SAIC Motor announced that
mass production had resumed at the Longbridge plant, as the first MG 6 to be produced
in the United Kingdom came off the production line. In May 2011 Jaguar unveiled plans
to build the C-X75 petrol-electric hybrid supercar in the UK from 2013, with production
to be in association withWilliams F1; Jaguar announced the cancellation of the project in
December 2012 due to the ongoing global economic crisis.

In May 2011, Aston Martin Lagonda confirmed that it was planning to revive
the Lagonda marque, with the launch of two or three new models. In an interview with
Reuters in the same month, Carl-Peter Forster, the Chief Executive of Tata Motors,
revealed that Jaguar Land Rover would be investing over 5 billion in product
development over the succeeding five years.
In June, Nissan announced that the replacement for its Qashqai model would be
designed and built in the UK, in a total investment of 192 million safeguarding around
6,000 jobs. In June BMW announced an investment of 500 million in the UK over the
subsequent three years as part of an expansion of the Mini range to seven models. In
September 2011, Jaguar Land Rover confirmed that it would be investing 355 million in
the construction of a new engine plant near Wolverhampton, to manufacture a new
family of four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines. Later in the same month it was
announced that the Jensen marque would be revived, with a new version of
the Interceptor to be built by CPP Holdings at the former Jaguar factory Browns Lane in
Coventry. In November, Toyota announced plans to make the UK its sole European
manufacturing base for hatchback versions of its next C-segment family car, resulting in
the investment of over 100 million in its Burnaston plant and the creation of around
1,500 new jobs.
In September 2013 it was announced that a new National Automotive Innovation
Campus would be built at the University of Warwick's main campus at a cost of 100
million, with 45 million to be contributed by Jaguar Land Rover.
In the half-year from January to June 2014, the UK had its best year in new car sales in
9 years. 1.28 million new cars were sold during the period, a rise of 10% compared to
the same period in 2013. In 2014, more than 1.5 million cars were produced, the highest
since 2007.