West Midlands - motors and music

[dipsydoodle]

A year since mass car production returned to Birmingham's Longbridge plant - with the first of the MG6 models rolling off the production lines - MG Motor UK's Chinese owners say they sold 446 cars in the first three months of 2012.

That is better than any of the company's annual sales figures from the past five years, when it was producing the MG TF specialist sports car.

But the figures are a far cry from Longbridge's heyday - when the plant was the largest in a region of the UK which became synonymous with the motor car.

Here - with Professor David Bailey from Coventry University Business School, and Gillian Bardsley from the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust - take a nostalgic look back at how Longbridge, and the whole West Midlands, gave us motors and music.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17693856

My first car was one these in late February 1963. Mine was the later '59 model with what from memory was the A series 948cc engine. Still managed Wembley to Edinburgh in 8 hours that summer.

[muriel_volestrangler]

1. And a musical riposte from London:

I don't know why, but I think that's one of the funniest opening couplets in pop.

[dipsydoodle]

2. A Morrie might not quite be a Jaguar

but given the choice I'd take the Morrie anytime - preferably the convertible. They still sell for huge bucks given their age.

Back when I had the A35 I had a few friends with Dagenham's own Ford Pilot V8 flatties. In those days you could buy a running Pilot from a breakers for £50 and pay a fiver for a Y model Ford.

........I've even been to Selsey Bill. It was either there or Beachy Head on Sunday mornings in a convoy. I can remember 3 of us lining up occasionally on Kew Bridge for a race down to Beachy Head using what now is just a rat run. You couldn't pull that stunt now without being arrested before you got to Richmond.

[madrchsod]

3. to bad they are`t completely made in the uk.

looks like a winnner for the uk and the mg brand.we once owned a 58 mg sedan. nice car but ...several of the gauges refused to work.after that my dad and i bought every 50`s simcas in northern illinois, we ended up buying every model they made.

[SwissTony]

4. My first car was a 1950 Vanguard.

I could put it in first gear and it would travel uphill without even a touch on the accelerator. I believe the Vanguard engine was also used in tractors. I find that entirely plausible, based on my experience. Getting some spare parts could be difficult (I'm talking Australia here). For example, in order to get retread tyres, I had to turn in my old ones so that the could be re-used.

Loved that car.