Todays Mad Cap Idea

[markcoopers]

Today I am going to save the British car industry, this is how. (leaving aside if it needs rescuing)

The government makes Ford in Southampton remake the Mk2 escort with a small 1 or 1.1L engine, abs and an airbag or two and some though around corrosion protection. Make them really cheap as little npd is neded and they have a big parts bin. These cars will all be leased only to new car drivers, it will be mandatory for them to have one for 2 years before being able to choose their own car.

If they damage it they will loose their deposit/ pay for the damage, thus encouraged to look after it, including Carpark damage.

They will learn about car control being RWD and about conserving momentum and looking ahead to anticipate issues, thus becoming better drivers.

They will have to service the cars and will be encouraged to do so at local service centres, thus educating them about the car and perhaps putting in some mechanical sympathy.

This will put jobs back in Southampton, better drivers on the road, perhaps more enthusiasts as well, skill them up in servicing and preparation for the winter, take some old poor cars off the road, provide parents with a financially viable way to fund kids and cars, also provide them some piece of mind that they are something solid ish, lower insurance costs for the rest of us as better drivers are on the road.

Genius I say.

[Hammy]

unfortunately won't meet new car rules - front too sharp, windscreen angle too wrong ,crash worthyness no good, interior bits too sharp ... and so on.

But a nice idea

[pistonbroke]

Would give an endless supply of essey shells for the raly boys though

[Norman Verona]

Two problems.

The car probably wouldn't meet current EU requirements - NCAP?

There is no guarantee that lease payments would be made and,if not, that they would get the car back.

Oh, and thirdly, the wages in the new factory in Turkey (which will make Transits as did Southampton) probably pay half or less the rates in the UK. That's wage rates and tax rates.

Ed to add that I rushed to post as I could see someone else was posting. I wanted to say that it's a good idea and a bit more of that sort of imagination will see us great again. Our politicians at all levels haven't an ounce of imagination and, the problem is, that the business leaders are stifled by all sort of restrictions.

[User0083]

People know poke all about cars. A girl was going on about her 12v power not working (fag lighter) so iPod wouldn't work. Went to main dealer , quoted more than I'd pay for a full service to replace the supply. I told her to pop round... Her boyfriend wasn't to keen, so came along too (trying to look and act big. I ain't massive, but 12yrs in army, boxer and rugby player). All I did was open bonnet, find fuse box, looked in lid, pulled out fuse 17 (or sommin) told her I'd grab a spare I have in my car... Done. A 24yr old and her 26yr old "bloke" didn't have a clue!

Another had horrible scraping noise... Main dealer quoted more than a weekend away in Bournemouth,I looked underneath in the car park, heat shield above centre silencer... I grabbed it and ripped it off. Then said "Job's a good'n" panicked I'd torn a hole in the floor she got upset and shouted a bit... I explained and said if she noticed the difference in the car I would pay for a repair by a "professional".

I spotted oil under wife 's car just after a service, reached under, sump nut leaking...

What a ball ache! Apparently "Tea Bagging" was the issue, well what's tea bagging... A guy's scrotum in your face is what I thought it was. But no, the manifold bounces off the oil sump causing a tea bag effect. The only oil was around the sump nut, either a washer or cross threaded. But cost my lovely lady £600 to replace the sump. MOT/service, advisory was cracked number plate... Not cracked when it went in! Exhaust rusted, they quoted several hundred quid to replace it, we said we'd wait. It was two of the mounting lugs that had rusted off, welded a 12 mm bolt in it's place.

Sorry drifted a bit, but feel it's a great concept... Needs working on to make a great idea.

[markcoopers]

I am a big ideas kind of chap, details are someone's bag

[Norman Verona]

You're the sort of chap I need in the "Common Sense party"

[Captain Colonial]

Ford USA are now selling complete factory new 1965 Mustang and 1940 Coupe body shells to modern standards with rustproofing for restorers and hotrodders - and have a huge waiting list. What's old is new again.

[User0083]

unfortunately won't meet new car rules - front too sharp, windscreen angle too wrong ,crash worthyness no good, interior bits too sharp ... and so on.

But a nice idea

they could sell it in kit form and dodge all those issues and the new driver having to build their own car will encourage a bond between them and it. maybe making them treat it with a bit of respect and have some passion in their life.

but the issue would then be the fact some bone idle spotty waster would've built a large percentage of cars on the roads!

[Lordbenny]

Did you know there are more cars manufactured in England than Germany...Fact!

[User0083]

Did you know there are more cars manufactured in England than Germany...Fact!

Justify this response with the required evidence please.

www.thesun.co.uk does not count. lol

[Lordbenny]

Justify this response with the required evidence please.

www.thesun.co.uk does not count. lol

It will have to be the Mail!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2210199/Britain-producing-MORE-cars-Germany-How-UK-car-production-capital-Europe.html

[Norman Verona]

There may be more cars made in the UK than in Germany.

There are more German owned car manufacturers in Germany that UK owned in the UK.

The last time I looked it up the London Taxi company was the biggest UK owned car manufacturer. They've ceased so it may be Caterham now. Oh no, they're no longer UK owned so it may be Westfield.

[Mark (smokey mow)]

The last time I looked it up the London Taxi company was the biggest UK owned car manufacturer. They've ceased so it may be Caterham now. Oh no, they're no longer UK owned so it may be Westfield.

Morgan and McLaren sell about twice as many cars anually as Caterham do and roughly 3 times the number of Westfield.

[jeff oakley]

It would be simple to get the UK back on it's feet but there are too many who prosper with it as it is. We could all play our part in doing so but here are some examples.

Call centres, Only deal with companies with UK call centres, they would soon bring jobs back here if they felt the backlash.

Only companies who build cars here would be eligeble for selection in publically owned departments.

Give help to manufacturing companies with tax breaks.

Promote a Buy British attitude and only place goverment contracts in the UK, like the French ignore all EU directives on this.

Stop the lunacy of PPI compensation and get off the banks back and let them make money again.

Make ambulance chasing companies advertising illegal, stop getting cheats to claim for money they do not deserve, brings down insurance cost.

Stop forgein aid to those who are no longer in need, use the money on infrastructure projects instead.

Stop buying the cheapest of everything, we used to have all of M&S clothes made in South Yorkshire but consumers prefer to save a few bob and support third world countries.

invest in new technologies, most of the key inventions in the world are British designs that were taken by other countries and made successes of, The computer was design in the UK yet most think it was Bill Gates.

It is a start in my mind