Monday, April 11, 2005

A sad day indeed

Say it an't so. Rover, the last major independent British automotive company is on the verge of bankruptcy. Last Friday the company anounced that its talks with Shanghai Automotive had collapsed. The deal offered by Shanghai always sounded too good to be true. $1 billion in total investments for a ragged line up of stale vechicles. BWM already took the only two jewels of the Rover crown, Mini and Ranger Rover. Now it looks like Rover is done for good and will never make an appearance in the United States. It was clear when BMW unloaded the debt laden company that operating Rover was a losing proposition, but hey, you can't fault them for trying. The 75 was a great car and when it first hit the market it was arguably the best front wheel drive car in the world. The MG, while competent, never captured the magic of the Miata, a car inspired by the MG's of old. Later attempts to turn Rover and MG into a TVR-like operation also failed. By then it was too late to try and create interest in a marquee that had already become irrelevelent in the marketplace. Still, it is a sad day for any fan of British motorcars and now we can begin mourning the fact that we will never lay eyes on the 75 and MG.

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