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Just got a chance to read the link you posted, Chris. Very interesting,
thanks for posting. And you're correct, the handwriting was already on the
wall under BMC, not BL.
Happy Healeying,
Rick Neville
On Sat, Feb 20, 2016 at 4:28 PM, Chris Dimmock <austin.healey@gmail.com>
wrote:
> I think it's a bit more complicated.
> Austin and Morris internal rivalries eventually killed the BMC C series
> engine. The C series should have continued development along the Healey
> Westlake Rally path, alloy head etc (the path Datsun went down with the Z
> cars and sedan engines) Instead, BMC committed to the financial disaster
> that was the MGC 3 litre, and then distracted itself with the 4 litre RR
> engine.
> See http://www.aronline.co.uk/blogs/cars/mg-cars/mgb/engines-c-series/
> for a great overview.
> So the engine strategy was going down the toilet....
> Meanwhile, Ralph Nader destroyed the body / chassis designs & aesthetics
> and effectively threatened sales into the largest single export market
> without a huge redesign.
> I think by the time the British Leyland Merger came along, Austin was
> just all too hard....
> Best
> Chris
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On 21 Feb 2016, at 12:25 PM, HealeyRick <healeyrik@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Correct me if I'm wrong, but it was nasty old BL that killed the Healey
> rather than the safety and emission requirements. From what I've read, the
> Healey 4000 would have met the US requirements for 1968 (
> http://www.ewilkins.com/wilko/ah4000.htm) but it was the decision to
> badge engineer the MGC in favor of a new Healey that was the death knell.
> MGBs managed to soldier on for several years after 1967 with the same
> chrome bumpers. That's not to say the Healey that we know and love
> could've soldiered on forever in light of more stringent US standards, just
> that I don't think they were the immediate cause of death.
>
> Happy Healeying,
> Rick Neville
>
> On Sat, Feb 20, 2016 at 1:43 AM, i erbs <eyera3000@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> US smog and bumper height regulations.
>>
>> Mr. Ira Erbs
>> Portland,OR
>> On Feb 20, 2016 2:35 AM, "J. Armour" <sebring3000@bigpond.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Can someone remind me why Healeys were not able to be sold in the USA?
>>> Did this issue of 'safety regulation' ( obviously for our own good so we
>>> were not all killed ) not start out in California?
>>> Am I being politically incorrect or just stating history
>>> Joe
>>>
>>>
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<div dir=3D"ltr">Just got a chance to read the link you posted, Chris.=C2=
=A0 Very interesting, thanks for posting.=C2=A0 And you're correct, the=
handwriting was already on the wall under BMC, not BL. =C2=A0<div><br></di=
v><div>Happy Healeying,</div><div>Rick Neville</div></div><div class=3D"gma=
il_extra"><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote">On Sat, Feb 20, 2016 at 4:28 PM, C=
hris Dimmock <span dir=3D"ltr"><<a href=3D"mailto:austin.healey@gmail.co=
m" target=3D"_blank">austin.healey@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><bloc=
kquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #cc=
c solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"auto"><div>I think it's a bit mor=
e complicated.=C2=A0</div><div>Austin and Morris internal rivalries eventua=
lly killed the BMC C series engine. The C series should have continued deve=
lopment along the Healey Westlake Rally path, alloy head etc (the path Dats=
un went down with the Z cars and sedan engines) Instead, BMC committed to t=
he financial disaster that was the MGC 3 litre, and then distracted itself =
with the 4 litre RR engine.</div><div>See=C2=A0<a href=3D"http://www.aronli=
ne.co.uk/blogs/cars/mg-cars/mgb/engines-c-series/" target=3D"_blank">http:/=
/www.aronline.co.uk/blogs/cars/mg-cars/mgb/engines-c-series/</a> for a grea=
t overview.=C2=A0</div><div>So the engine strategy was going down the toile=
t....</div><div>Meanwhile, Ralph Nader destroyed the body / chassis designs=
& aesthetics and effectively threatened sales into the largest single =
export market without a huge redesign.=C2=A0</div><div>I think by the time =
the British Leyland Merger =C2=A0came along, Austin was just all too hard..=
..=C2=A0<br>Best</div><div>Chris=C2=A0<br>Sent from my iPhone</div><div><br=
>On 21 Feb 2016, at 12:25 PM, HealeyRick <<a href=3D"mailto:healeyrik@gm=
ail.com" target=3D"_blank">healeyrik@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br><br></div>=
<blockquote type=3D"cite"><div dir=3D"ltr">Correct me if I'm wrong, but=
it was nasty old BL that killed the Healey rather than the safety and emis=
sion requirements.=C2=A0 From what I've read, the Healey 4000 would hav=
e met the US requirements for 1968 (<a href=3D"http://www.ewilkins.com/wilk=
o/ah4000.htm" target=3D"_blank">http://www.ewilkins.com/wilko/ah4000.htm</a=
>) but it was the decision to badge engineer the MGC in favor of a new Heal=
ey that was the death knell.=C2=A0 MGBs managed to soldier on for several y=
ears after 1967 with the same chrome bumpers.=C2=A0 That's not to say t=
he Healey that we know and love could've soldiered on forever in light =
of more stringent US standards, just that I don't think they were the i=
mmediate cause of death.<div><br></div><div>Happy Healeying,</div><div>Rick=
Neville</div></div><div class=3D"gmail_extra"><br><div class=3D"gmail_quot=
e">On Sat, Feb 20, 2016 at 1:43 AM, i erbs <span dir=3D"ltr"><<a href=3D=
"mailto:eyera3000@gmail.com"; target=3D"_blank">eyera3000@gmail.com</a>><=
/span> wrote:<br><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8=
ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><p dir=3D"ltr">US smog and =
bumper height regulations.</p>
<p dir=3D"ltr">Mr. Ira Erbs<br>
Portland,OR</p>
<div class=3D"gmail_quote">On Feb 20, 2016 2:35 AM, "J. Armour" &=
lt;<a href=3D"mailto:sebring3000@bigpond.com"; target=3D"_blank">sebring3000=
@bigpond.com</a>> wrote:<br type=3D"attribution"><blockquote class=3D"gm=
ail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-le=
ft:1ex"><div style=3D"word-wrap:break-word;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-size:14px;=
font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><div>Can someone remind me why Healeys were=
not able to be sold in the USA? Did this issue of 'safety regulation&#=
39; ( obviously for our own good so we were not all killed ) not start out =
in California?</div><div>Am I being politically incorrect or just stating h=
istory</div><div>Joe</div><div><br></div></div></blockquote></div></blockqu=
ote></div></div></blockquote></div></blockquote></div><br></div>
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