Why did rover go bust

[psicobra]

I dont understand how rover went bust my 75 is fantastic it feels like a real quality car my car is 11 years old the leather is in fantastic condition as is the whole interior it still feels like a new car on the road. and i know there is this thing that the "over 75" as my brother calls it but i dont feel like it is an old person car every one who has seen it says how posh it is.

So what went wrong ? how could the go bust making cars like this? just curious.

Andy

[James.uk]

I think they spent too much time argueing....
...

[mark d3]

i dont know there overheads where massive,6,000+wages to find every month,the leasing of Longbridge which at the time was a small town in its own right,massive council tax on top of that,not selling enough cars to keep the wolves from the door and no investment to make new models,the Phoenix 4 done well out of it its the workers who lost everything

[rizel23]

Originally Posted by James.uk

I think they spent too much time argueing....
...

then they would have fitted in just fine on these forums

[Banjo]

Lack of investment in new models, lack of Government support to build a new modern factory and negative publicity from the car world's very own Prince of Darkness - Clarkson and his hobgoblins, May and Hammond.

[rizel23]

Originally Posted by Banjo

Lack of investment in new models, lack of Government support to build a new modern factory and negative publicity from the car world's very own Prince of Darkness - Clarkson and his hobgoblins, May and Hammond.

I thought they went bust because new buyers paid themselves massive bonuses for doing naff all? BMW took the most profitable areas of the business, but i'm pretty sure they virtually gave them a massive virtually interest free loan for new investment in what was left?

[Banjo]

Although obscene in the circumstances, the money that the Farcical Four paid themselves was really a drop in the bucket compared with the overall financial situation.BMW did lend them money, and also gave them a large stock of cars too. In addition they got a large chunk of cash when they sold the Longbridge site to St Modwen, the property investment company. All not enough if, for whatever reason, you cannot sell enough product profitably.

[Phil]

The company was asset stripped by BMW, taking with them LandRover and MINI. Not before the design was completed by Rover and not before Rover stopped manufacturing the Metro/100 however long in the tooth it was it still sold in decent numbers. In the mid ninetys Rover Group was profitable. Not many people know that Rover built Honda cars in Rovers factories and even supplied Honda with Rover engines and gearboxes for some Civics. BAE selling to BMW was a bad decision in my opinion. I think sticking with Honda would have been far, far better. The new owners did very well out of MGR but for the life of me I don't know why they chose to waste money on le mans and purchasing that italian car maker (the name of which I forget.)
There were some very clever people at Rover some of which are on here. Just a shame that they weren't given a fair chance.

[nuts75]

IF we has a nation stuck to buying british, we wouldnt be in the mess were in ,take a look at france ,there streets are filled with there cars, germany the same ,italy the same,
its come to it that we are a nation of shop keeps ,not a nation of car manufacturing any more ,take a look at our towns ,shops boarded up no jobs ,youths bored to death so causeing trouble , i am proud to say i have allways bought british built cars from triumphs to marinas, p6s to numerous 800s ,to the 75 to this date my mgzt.
if only we all did the same are country would still be great . those that have never drove a rover whether it be a 75 or a zt , do not know what they are missing .
they tend to listen to the likes of people who have never owned one ,and the clarkson and his two verookas. and go and buy the cheap rubbish out there,and then the truth be told regret it later . anyway im still a proud british man that will allways buy BRITISH...regs tony

[rovexCDTi]

Ignoring the whole BMW thing got a minute..

While the 75 was a great car the 25 and 45 were antiquated rehashed Hondas that cost too much to make and buy. Remember the 25 is just a 200 mk3, which in itself little more than a cheapened mk2. The front half might look different but its basically identical underneath, even the dashes are interchangeable. The 45 was a 400 (Honda Domini), they had to pay Honda for the rights to use the expensive double wishbone suspension system that even Honda ditched for their later cars. The 75 and the ZT gets tarred with the same brush that the 25/45 frankly deserve.


Pointless and stupid as they are Rover also lacked those people carrier/car hybrid things and some of the other niche, but still popular models.

Rover was also technologially well behind the times with small engines that lacked power. 200bhp at the most was just not enough when other makes had flagship models well over 300.