It's because it's products are quintisentially British in character. even the post Honda sanitised models retain a kind of quirky, genteel, slightly eccentric yet somehow conservative at the same time bearing which makes you want to just forgive all the faults because of the wonderful persona.

DD

 

It's the 100 odd years of 'Rover' a British car manufacturer, the solidity of knowing it was always still there (however dubious), the quirkiness, the character that makes it just that bit different.

I stood in the rain last night looking at the 75, fizzing mad......


I make no apologies, I'm a fierce Brit, then a fierce Scot, Patriot to the end, and F***ing proud of this country, or rather I was......

CAM

 

MG Rover and the P4 have been an enormous inspiration for me. I really really respect them all.

Rover has preformed through thick and thin, and despite that it might not be the original company that built the mercedes bashing cars, its certainly a company that I've managed not to just think of as a company with accounts, but as a person.

Me and MGR :grouphug:

 

Maybe this is a bit off the wall, but I reckon it's anthropomorphism - we invest certain companies, mentally, with a personality, and think of them, subsconsciously, as people, or animals. Not many people like seeing another person or animal suffering, and so we instinctively rush to defend it (well I know I do).

It works best when the company has enough of a history to give it a real 'personality.' MGR and its predecessors certainly have that history, whereas something like, say, Perodua can only really be assessed through its actions - which haven't been many (relatively speaking) so far. We didn't feel bound to rush to defend, say, Daewoo when it was bankrupt because we really didn't know the guy (in human parlance).

Just an idea. Personally, I've always kind of seen Rover as a dog (obvious where it comes from), a bit scruffy, old, but friendly - a family pet of many years' standing. We can all remember the hazy summer days when the dog was younger and had more energy; now he's tired and old but still cheerful.

OK I sound like a nutcase. I'll stop.

 

the dogs need some young puppy's to get the life back in her

 

I know exactly why...

I get in my Toyota and its just a piece of metal. All my Rovers have been different. I dont know how, but they take the same metal, the same fabric, plastics and wood, and somehow they give it soul.

Thats why I love Rover.

 

Pretty much the same really, when you drive and look at other cars, yes they may look nice and yes they may drive nice.

But when you drive and look at a Rover or an MG you just know these cars have a Heart and Soul which the other cars, IMO will never have.

You kind of feel, connected to a Rover, you don't drive it, you kind of..Wear it, it indulges me, I could pull up next to a porche in my ZR and feel more proud of driving and owning my MG than his £80,000 machine.

I dunno why I love Rovers and MGs so much, I just do! I would rather own a L Reg 200/400 than a brand new Fiesta, WTF lol! :lol:

 

Driving into work today made me feel even more proud to be an MG owner. We drive MGR's to make a statment and for pure driving enjoyment.

 

Rover and MG have a heritage. A history, tradition and products which are a bit different from the hoards of faceless metal entities chucked out by the big boys - products with character and something that little bit different. Hopefully this will be attractive enough to secure some sort of future.

Anthony.

 

Rover's in my blood, some of my earliest memories were the BL troubles on the news in the 70s

Always had Rovers, MGs, Austins and even a Riley Elf when I was a kid, grew up with them.

First car was an MG Metro, loved it to bits.

Ashamed that I now drive a Ford, I had been waiting for RD60, but am currently raiding the piggy bank with a view to buying a new ZR this week, even though it doesn't quite fit my needs.

It's the only tangible way I can show my support

 

I can relate to the idea of Rover as a "puppy". Trouble is the puppy has a shotgun placed at it's head right now...Consider a little puppy with it's eyes looking up, begging not to be shot. Now connect Rover and puppy. Now cry...

 

I think the attachment is partly related to the fact that a car is one of the most expensive purchases you ever make, therefore you have to have a good feeling about the car. You wouldn't buy a house if you walked in and didn't like the atmosphere, so in the same way, if you don't feel an attachment to a car, you wouldn't be willing to pay all that money for it.

If you consider the fact that a large proportion drivers give their car a name and almost treat it like a member of the family. Plus the time and effort it takes to wash it every couple of weeks and many people spend so much time driving around in it, you can see why it is easy to gain an emotional attachment to your car.

 

I feel the same, I grew up surrounded by cars with the names Morris, Austin, Triumph, MG, Wolsey to name but a few. All of these companies have merged into what is now MGR. So its become part of our history.

I was pleased to see the revival of the MG marque when Phoenix took over and imo this is the main reason we have made it to 5 years, most media pessimists were giving them 6 months at the time. The 75 still looks classy even though its getting on slightly now.

What has annoyed me today was watching a news report where Quentin Wilson (he who claimed the 75 is the best car MGR have EVER built) cruised around in a top spec 75 and ended by saying, 'the only people who want to buy these now are the Chinese'.

Shame on you Quentin, leave remarks like that to Jeremy Clarkson. Just to finish isn't it the likes of Clarkson and the media in general (who like to kick people when they are down for no more than financial reasons) who have got us into this position, they all take great pleasure in taking the p**s out of MGR at every opportunity.

I was planning on getting a new ZR105 to share the commute mileage with my coupe, and you know what if at all possible I still will.

Alan

 

i have never ever had any other cars (minus the old scenic) from foreign companies. we have always had rover and always will. montego>420>metro>75>25 and hopefully another 75 is on the horizon

 

I must admit I was reduced to tears for a while when watching the BBC 6 O'clock News this evening.

I have always admired MG Rover products, they have always looked very classy and of course the Rover 75 is the most beautiful car in the world. I have not sat in a 75 or driven one but I know this car is as good as a BMW, Jaguar or Merc so I do not understand why so many chose to buy these brands when they could buy a British car that is just as good! Only last Saturday I walked passed a police BMW 3-series estate that was parked up and thought why couldn't they have bought a 75 Tourer?

I wish now I had bought a Rover 200 or 25 instead of a Corsa, although I know it will not help MG Rover if I bought a second hand car.

 

I was try to explain to my wife on the phone today about why this affects me. Quite simply I couldn't as from a detached perspective it doesn't really have a great deal to do with me.

But, as some people support football teams we here support a car company. It must surely have the same basis in psychology - it must be about clubbing together and feeling a united team spirit; to share in success and to support part of what we ultimately would like to be involved in on a much more fundamental level. And as MGR is British (and we would prefer it to remain so) that hits a part of us in the form of Pride and Nationalism, which few other manufacturers can claim. Do you think that Honda, or Renault or Mitsubishi car owners care so passionately about the companies as well as the cars? I suspect not.

Simon.

 

Its another bit of 'Britishness' lost

I'm also sad for the workers and their families

 

For me MGR is symbolic of the manufacturing sector in this country. MGR has been around forever, in one form or another, and you see the cars on almost every journey.

Losing MGR is like admitting defeat. If MGR goes, we might as well just sell up all of our manufacturing industries to foreigners and all go and push paper around.

If there was one thing that made this country special it was the industrial revolution. That, and democracy, gave us the standard of living we have today. Successive governments have turned their back on what made this country GREAT Britain, in search of the quick buck, and re-election. With five years between elections, its easy to understand why politicians never look at the long term view. But we need to maintain the diversity in our economy, even if it costs, or we will be vulnerable (ironically, just like MGRs suppliers five years ago).

Economic growth doesn't interest me. I don't want my house to be worth hundreds of thousands. I just want a house, and a comfortable living, and the same for everyone else. Instead what we have is an ever increasing gulf between the undervalued workers and highly paid money driven suits. We are becoming a society of the haves, and the have nots, just like the United States. That is the unacceptable face of capitalism.

We still have some of the best minds in the world, but perpetual underinvestment in science and technology means we are losing them abroad. Soon our engineering and science will be limited to training foreign students, and our only major contribution to the world will be a popular second language.

And then we may wonder why our ancestors bothered fighting those wars, and why they didn't just let market forces prevail...

It's a betrayal of the millions who have over hundreds of years given all they could to build and protect a great nation.
I've plenty of friends from around the world, and they are good people, but I'm sure the millions who went to war for King and country didn't intend for us to give our crown jewels away less than a century later.

Whew, rant over...

 

For me MGR is symbolic of the manufacturing sector in this country. MGR has been around forever, in one form or another, and you see the cars on almost every journey.

Losing MGR is like admitting defeat. If MGR goes, we might as well just sell up all of our manufacturing industries to foreigners and all go and push paper around.

If there was one thing that made this country special it was the industrial revolution. That, and democracy, gave us the standard of living we have today. Successive governments have turned their back on what made this country GREAT Britain, in search of the quick buck, and re-election. With five years between elections, its easy to understand why politicians never look at the long term view. But we need to maintain the diversity in our economy, even if it costs, or we will be vulnerable (ironically, just like MGRs suppliers five years ago).

Economic growth doesn't interest me. I don't want my house to be worth hundreds of thousands. I just want a house, and a comfortable living, and the same for everyone else. Instead what we have is an ever increasing gulf between the undervalued workers and highly paid money driven suits. We are becoming a society of the haves, and the have nots, just like the United States. That is the unacceptable face of capitalism.

We still have some of the best minds in the world, but perpetual underinvestment in science and technology means we are losing them abroad. Soon our engineering and science will be limited to training foreign students, and our only major contribution to the world will be a popular second language.

And then we may wonder why our ancestors bothered fighting those wars, and why they didn't just let market forces prevail...

It's a betrayal of the millions who have over hundreds of years given all they could to build and protect a great nation.
I've plenty of friends from around the world, and they are good people, but I'm sure the millions who went to war for King and country didn't intend for us to give our crown jewels away less than a century later.

Whew, rant over...

Wow, no definitely not a rant. When the current government talk about economic growth they are talking about call centres and service industries. No offence to the people who work in these and I agree with the above statement completely.

MGR is a cornerstone of manufacturing in the UK, not because of how many people are employed there but because of what it represents. I worked for 15yrs making alloys for BL, Austin Rover & Rover group, only to find that our parent company based in SA decided to shut all non SA factories and take all our technology home with them. Sad fact with that was that before we were shut down every single alloy produced in SA had to go through our UK quality control before being shipped to Longbridge & Cowley, and 30% ish were deemed poor quality. What does that tell you about the workforce that made them? No pride in their work most likely.

I'm one of the lucky ones and landed on my feet after the demise of that company, now I make proesthetic implants for a living, very niche market but I can see these as being the only kind of manufacturing industry left in this country with any future.

Alan

 

What is it about MG-Rover?

Its just another company, out ther etrying to make a profit, but why do we feel emotionally attached to it?

Most of us have never worked for the company, and are noteffected by today's events, but how many of us (grow men) has it reduced to tears?

I could not sleep last night, had bad dreams, have felt distant all day. I can't put the internet or the televison down. Will life be the same again?

Im just off in My Coupe, I know that im going to get a lump in my throut as I turn the ignition on and 'Rover' is displayed on my clock.

Prehaps were all just softies at heart

We have all grown up with Rover, its 'in our blood'.

Its the same with Concorde, not as old as Rover, but a lot grew up with it, and it represented everything tha was British.

And just like with Rover, because some foreigners have a problem with it, it goes down the swanny.

I must say, I have felt thouroughly crap today. I cant stop feeling that a potential 40,000 families are going to lose thir income. Its terrible.

Also, working in an engineering/production environment, as im sure many on here do, there is a certain 'close to home' feeling.

Another thing, that has been mentioned, is the company and cars have soul. Japanese and German cars just feel like entries in a balance sheet, where as British cars (and American cars I'd say) feel like they have been made with love and care.

I also, when I got behind the wheel today, felt an enormous sence of pride. I have done my bit to support the company, by voting with my wallet.

I ask Tony B Liar and Mr Brown to do the same. They have a much bigger wallet.

 

Because, despite being flawed, the cars have SOUL.

 

I think for me, what it is about the company is that i have grown up surrounded by their products. One of my (mum's side) aunts had a Jet Black Metro (which i cried when she changed it for a Punto in 1995), while another had a BRG MkII Mini 1000 and later an early Metro, and my aunt on my dad's side had a Rover Metro, Rover 100 and a ZR/25/Sw-type 200 after that.

Plus, the fact that it's Birmingham based, and i was born there, and am proud of my origin. I also love the flawed yet soulful character to all the cars they make, and it makes me happy to see the community spirit on these forums, and how we all unite no matter who we are at times like this.

 

What it is with MGR is that they have always been there,probably one of the first cars you went in was from this companies past.

I can remember a time when a foreign car was in the minority on Britains roads.(late 60's)
Just think how many names are no longer with us,Riley,Wolseley,Austin,Morris,the real mini then the rootes group with Humber,Hillman,Sunbeam the list goes on.

My first car at 17 was very nearly a chocloate brown MG 1300,until I had it inspected and a lot of rot was found in the rear.I ended up getting a Wolseley 1500 which I used for five years until a change of circumstances meant me having to do 350 miles a week(student traveling to uni),which unfortunately was too much for the old lady.So I had to let her go to a better home.


So I bought a SAAB 99 a car I knew well,as at the time my parents and brother had one,simple to work on ,tough and capable of doing what I wanted.

I made a second attempt at becoming a MG owner,when I rescued a pair of ZBs from a farm yard unfortunately it wasn't to be,found they had been used for racing and beyond hope.(Front disc brakes,servos,racing harness etc)

So I remained a SAAB owner for 18 years ending up with a non-turbo 16 valve 900.Just never felt attached to them, they were just a car to get me from a-b and were very abused and hammered.

Then 4 years ago ,after a long fight,I got a promotion and considerable back pay,thought of doing something sensible with the money but decided on a new car.I spent nearly 12 months looking and test driving various cars and couldn't find what I wanted,there was always something not right.

Then I saw a car one day, bright blue and mean looking and it was WOW what was that.After searching through magazines I found out it was a ZT.

Took one for a test drive and within minutes fell in love with it.So I ordered a 160+ V6 in trophy blue and love her as much today as when I first drove her nearly 3 years ago,still brings a smile to my face.Only problem she likes a drink and so she now has a friend a 3 weeks old ZR 105. Chosen after test driving other supposedly superior cars including the new mini.YUK.

Several times today I have found myself close to tears as the news of MGR has come through.I keep telling myself not to be so stupid they're only cars but with MGR they are not just cars they're old much loved friend.