Thankyou very much for the camper Adolf , thank you very much , thank you very very much !

I guess we should be grateful to the powers that decided to give VW back to the Germans, can you imagine what abominations would have been produced if it had been run by British Leyland.

 

They wouldn't have produced anything - -they'd have been out on strike.

 

And what oversized monster would the yanks of built if they had of purchased the company.

 

The Yanks? You mean the ones who won the war? Invented the 4x4 (they knicked the idea off the Kublewagon), you mean the ones who invented the compact van(knicked the idea off VW), you meant the ones who invented the sliding door (knicked the idea off erm you guessed it), you mean the ones ... I could go on (anyYanks reading this dont worry I am just twisting your melon ... maaaan!)
Mind you they did put a decent engine in the Range Rover, They inspired the Austin Atlantic (one of my fave classics even though it was a massive failure) they did build the Chrysler 300C (which I used to own once (appalling build quality) but actually ace car to waft about in!

 

Great post - Chris likes this!!!

 

Top post Malc ,need a sticker for the van with that sentiment on

 

Might I remind those amnesiastic and forgetful old souls of such things as Concorde, E Type jaguar, The entire F1 industry, Aston Martin DB5, Spitfires, Hovercraft, Mini, etc, etc. We may not do things very often but when we do we do them just as well than any German can; and sometimes better than any one other nation. Oh yeah, the internet, Art, music, literature, comedy (def better than anything german) and on and on. Make fun of ourselves by all means but lest no forget or elsen du hast becomen eine dumkopf.

 

I think we are excellent at inventing stuff but we are rubbish at making it long term, for reasonable money, reliable, updating it and marketing it! The Yanks are great at marketing, the Germans can create the 'percieved quality' , whilst the Japs take what we invent and just make it work properly, reliably and better!

Dont get me wrong old stuff was so better made not because it was British but because the main driver then was quality rather than to a cost.
We might have invented the internet but who made it popular and accessible? History repeats itself over and over............

 

Creativity is fun.

Mass production, marketing etc is tedious. Thus leave it to those better able to put up with it.

Plus I disagree with percieved quality. What we do do is still more than a match for germany. America has an economy of scale which gives a huge advantage to commerce. An advantage that is dwindling as another economy of scale opens in China with huge untapped opportunities and as a consequence we see the USA face what we faced during the 70's. German workers understand the need to keep costs down but they too are suffering as Eastern companies match them too. The focus is shifting...

Basically, Marmite happens. Adapt or die. The world cycles on.

 

What Stan said ^. Great inventors, poor commercialisers. German quality isn't perceived - it's real. Also worth pointing out that the Americans invented much of what's in today's cars in the 20s and 30s (in addition to saving our necks in WW2). And..the Japanese are great inventors (Wii, Nintendo, anyone?): it's a myth that they copy stuff.

Is this the Nigel Farange thread ?

 

Totally Agree, the Germans actually have a bigger export market now than most.

Yanks did invent most car stuff way back when , they had car alarms in the 1920's flush fitting door handles all sorts of stuff. As stated they had economy of scale!

 

You can list all those brand names and yes they were good in their time but where are they today? They made Minis and moggy minors for a loss? They made Jags so cheap they never really made money on them? Its good inventing something but you have to see it through to the other side and keep it going?
I go to Jodrell Bank a fair bit (its a nice run out and the Cafe is excellent) . I look at the shabby buildings there and the telescope as it goes round and round, I can appreciate the effort , determination and the sheer skill and intelligence that went into all of that but wonder how much longer it will carry on? It needs modernising a lot and again money is the killer in this country all the smart brains are tempted abroad. Such a shame, as you say lots of very smart people in Uk with fab ideas and what happens they have to go on a chavvy telly programme to get money! What a waste....

 

Dont underestimate the Russians, they know what they are doing but again money is the problem. I think you are correct we need a 'Partner' to provide the funds to develop it.
I knew someone who's dad works as a network designer on Naval shipping. Apparently it takes about 10 years or so to build them, by which time they are probably technologically almost obsolete!
I do wonder how in Victorian times they went on massive countrywide building projects in record time, with simple machinery and lots of labour , and its going to take about 20 years to build that new high speed rail link that goes about 60 miles from Birmingham?! I mean I know the Victorians did not worry about killing a few newts or upsetting some Posh chap , who does not want a railway going through his Cheshire Golf course, but where is the progress!