On 9/3/98 9:59 pm mgs-owner@autox.team.net said
>The latter. Honda owned a percentage of the Rover group (25 or 30 per
>cent, if I recall correctly). They were a prime candidate to purchase
>Rover because of this, but eventually bowed out in favor of BMW. The
>Sterling failure may have something to do with Honda leaving, I don't
>know.
Hondo went off in a huff cos they weren't happy about BMW coming =
along behind their backs.
>
>Rolls has had an agreement for engine development with BMW for some time,
>who is favored to purchase them. However, Rolls Royce PLC (the jet
>engine maker) still owns the RR name (although not the auto manufacturing
>co.-- confused yet?) and is supposedly hesitating to sell it to a
>non-British company.
The new Silver Seraph uses a modified 7 series engine. It looks a =
wonderful car if you've got =A3150.000 to spare. RR Aero licenses the =
name to the car manufacturer.
It appears that BMW are out of the running to buy RR. It could end up =
with a UK concortium. VW have expressed interested cost they'd like =
to use the Bentley name on their super saloon. Now that just would =
not be on!!!
>
>This is like the seven degrees of Kevin Bacon, isn't it? Interesting
>that BMW could end up owning both RR and Rover. Ford has got Jaguar and
>Aston Martin. Who has Lotus nowadays? Seems like Morgan is the only
>"British" British car left.
Never heard of Kevin Bacon, but Lotus is owned by a Malaysian =
concern. TVR, Marcos and Caterham are British companies building =
type-approved cars. And then of course there are all the racing car =
companies which are all centred around Oxfordshire. so we're not =
doing too badly really!
>
>Required MG content: BMW owns Rover which owns the MG name and
>manufactures the MGF.
Philip Raby
Editor, MG World
PO Box 163, Bicester OX6 3YS, UK
Tel: 01869 340061 Fax: 01869 340063 Mobile 0467 767361
www.chp.ltd.uk
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