Re: A couple of Rootes questions

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

It was somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember ":::Jerry::::" <me@privacy.net>
saying something like:

>Linwood, a classic example of Government meddling.

Just jobs, from the govt point of view. Something had to be done to
replace the disappearing shipbuilding jobs in the area. It was daft,
though, having all the extra cost of a relatively remote location
removed from the main markets.

>The Hillman Imp, a classic example of a badly designed car.

Not badly designed at all- marvellous little buggy to drive. Badly
maintained, often enough; the Mk2 had most of the bugs sorted.
The daft pneumatic throttle of the Mk1 was crap design, I'll give you
that.

>The workforce, a classic example of bad management / union relations.

Bad management is the right term - the heavy-handed Chrysler style was
almost guaranteed to get up the noses of the workforce, and it escalated
from there.

>No wonder no of the three survived !... :~(

It never stood a chance, given items 1 and 3.
--

Dave
SE6a

[:::Jerry::::]

"Grimly Curmudgeon" <grimlycurmudgeon683@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:rbg4h0hot89crjvrlutr0dp4gseglu1dhn@4ax.com...
> It was somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
> drugs began to take hold. I remember ":::Jerry::::" <me@privacy.net>
> saying something like:
>
<snip>
>
> >The Hillman Imp, a classic example of a badly designed car.
>
> Not badly designed at all- marvellous little buggy to drive. Badly
> maintained, often enough; the Mk2 had most of the bugs sorted.
> The daft pneumatic throttle of the Mk1 was crap design, I'll give you
> that.

The whole front end was a crap design, to get safe sensible handling out of
them one needed to keep a bulk bag of cement (or some such weight) in the
load area. The body was designed to rot, the inside trim was appalling. I'll
grant you the back end was good, very good, pity that all the design teams
grey matter was used up before getting further forward than the rear
wheels...

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

It was somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember ":::Jerry::::" <me@privacy.net>
saying something like:

>The whole front end was a crap design, to get safe sensible handling out of
>them one needed to keep a bulk bag of cement (or some such weight) in the
>load area.

Or simply lower the fixing points of the wishbones (something the
factory should have done in the first place).

> The body was designed to rot,

Normal for the time.

> the inside trim was appalling.

Nothing unusual in that, for its day.

> I'll
>grant you the back end was good, very good, pity that all the design teams
>grey matter was used up before getting further forward than the rear
>wheels...

It had some design failings, but all in all easily fixed by any halfway
enthusiastic owner.
--

Dave
SE6a

[:::Jerry::::]

"Grimly Curmudgeon" <grimlycurmudgeon683@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:c2r4h05c2ip4qq57b8d20btfjujj71c4qp@4ax.com...

[ re the Hillman Imp ]
>
> It had some design failings, but all in all easily fixed by any halfway
> enthusiastic owner.

But that is *not* how to design a car being sold as a 'shopping and
run-about' manly to females...

I think you 'enthusiasm' for the car has just proved my point !