Happy Christmas, merry New Year

Keith Adams

Happy Christmas, merry New Year
Happy Christmas, merry New Year

Here we are, then – another year on, perhaps a little wiser and, possibly, a little poorer, but I hope happier and a little more educated than this time last year. Stumbling into 2011, we’re still awaiting a new MG from Longbridge, Jaguar and Land Rover are going from strength to strength and the MINI brand looks set to expand just a little more…

Given we’re a long way from being out of the woods in terms of UK economic performance, these are encouraging signs – although we’re all desperate for MG to get a wriggle-on. Let’s hope that the modest renaissance of the UK motor industry, albeit financed overseas, continues and gains momentum.

AROnline’s had a pretty good year, too. The level of reader interaction is better than ever and, as the forum traffic seems to be slowly winding down and remains a nice source of information, the feedback areas have never been busier. The level of debate and quality of interaction are top notch, proving that our readership is the best out there – enthusiastic and knowledgeable.

2010 has been a funny old year for me – I’ve been all over the world, driven the best cars and had some amazing adventures but I’m still as keen and revved-up as ever to maintain AROnline’s position as one of the best car websites in cyberspace. 2011 will be our tenth year in operation – who would have thought that the rubbish little HTML site I hammered together to fact-check a little 250,000 word book that I was hoping to get published (and never did) would grow into the monster it’s become.

Next year, I hope to finish the site redesign and move it into the realms of CMS which will, I think, future-proof the contents for years to come. It’s no small job, given that there are thousands of pages (yes, really), but we’ll get there in the end.

Yes, as that 1980s copywriter said, ‘now we’re motoring’.

See you in 2011…

Keith Adams

36 Comments

  1. Yes, this is one of the best websites I’ve ever used. Rich in content, accurate, wide ranging and easy to use. Well done to all at AROnline and good luck with your plans for 2011.

  2. Merry Christmas to you to Keith and many thanks to you for AROnline – it’s been a pretty much daily log on for probably most of those ten years and has always been the most reliable source of information about my favourite car company or more accurately companies.

    Anyway, with the tenth year being in 2011 couldn’t a mass birthday celebration and meet be arranged at Longbridge?

    Wishing you and all fellow AROnliners all the best mate,

    Peter.

  3. Enjoy the festive season, Keith. A hearty ‘thank-you’ for nurturing this little harbour of joy, from which I always draw SO much information!

  4. Many thanks to everyone who has had input into this website. It’s been a joy to read! Merry Christmas everyone!

  5. Have a good one, Keith. Thanks, as ever, for another fascinating year of AROnline. I’m another one who has spent the past decade logging in on a daily basis!

  6. I stumbled across AROnline (as you do) in 2004 and I’ve been a regular visitor ever since. It’s amazing that there are so many obscure facts and photos to appeal to the anoraks everywhere.

    Keep it up!

  7. I would just like to add a personal note of thanks to all AROnline’s readers for your encouragement and support in 2010. Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

    Clive.

  8. Happy Christmas!

    T’was the night before Christmas,

    And all round Longbridge,

    Not a machine was stirring,

    Not even a fridge.

    The CKDs were hung by the assembly line with care,

    In the hope that SAIC soon would be there.

  9. Merry Christmas to Keith and all the the other Contributors. Your site’s been one of my bookmarks for a long time.

    Indeed, in a corny seasonal analogy, it’s just the best resource for reading about BL/MGR’s ghosts of Christmas past and JLR, MINI, and MG’s ghosts of Christmases present and future!

  10. Keith, keep up the good work. This is my favourite website to dip in to when I have ten mins. I know there’s more to come (including some from our archives) and can’t wait to see what you’ll be adding in 2011.

  11. All the very best to all readers, bloggers and contributors from myself and all of us here in leafy (and icy) Sussex!

  12. Many thanks Keith and keep up the good work! AROnline is, in terms of its quality, definitely more Range Rover than CityRover 🙂

  13. AROnline’s a great site Keith. Keep it going – it’s always interesting and packed with the latest news plus, of course, all the information about the cars and their history. Well done and Best Wishes for 2011.

    Mark.

  14. A Happy Christmas and a Successful 2011 to you, Keith, and your colleagues – and the Polski Rover.

    It’s always a joy to peruse the site – keep up the excellent work.

  15. Thanks for all your and the team’s efforts this year. This is a great website – I always enjoy reading the great articles.

    Best of luck for 2011,

    Darren.

  16. Thanks to Keith, Clive and all of the team for another fantastic year. This website will be a beacon in the gloom of the oncoming economic storm – long may it prosper.

    Big up AROnline !

  17. A big thanks for another 12 months of compulsive reading. Long may it continue.

    Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all at AROnline – contributors and readers alike.

    A prosperous 2011 to all.

    (Oh, and a wee footnote to MG Motor – a Le Mans Green MG6 in its sporting guise would be nice, please!)

  18. Thanks to you for all your efforts in maintaining such an interesting website and to all the Contributors who provide the news and feature stories.

    I am an enthusiast of the Rover marque (although not of all things BMC, BL-related) and it is great that, 5 years after the very last Rover car was built, there are still interesting stories to read about the models that wore (and, potentially, might have worn) the Viking longship badge.

    Keep up the good work in 2011 – I hope to put finger to keyboard and produce some editorial material for the website.

  19. Merry Christmas to you Keith and thanks for another fantastic year of AROnline. Let’s hope 2011 is the turning point, at least for MG.

  20. Merry christmas to all at ARonline. The best website of useful information of all motoring history past, present and to the future. And yes five or so years on MG/Rover cars are still missed from the UK line up. Hope to see them back in some shape or form.

  21. Happy Christmas and best wishes for the New Year.

    Keith – thank you for this excellent website and excellent articles in Octane (I am a subscriber).

  22. Merry Christmas and a Happy New year to Keith et al and keep up the good work. AROnline is a fantastic website and still remains one of my favourites nine years or so after I first discovered it.

  23. I’ve been a daily reader of this website since almost Day One and, if anything, it has become even better in 2010. Long may it continue :).

  24. I have been reading this site for years and had the pleasure of contributing a few times. Happy Christmas Keith and Clive and all the best for 2011. Looking forward to Longbridge finally producing a volume car again.

  25. @David Mckenzie
    I have spent a couple of New Years Eves on the Lickey Hills over looking Longbridge – it was blooming cold but a great night out as loads of people were up there seeing the New Year in!

  26. Looking forward to more in 2011. I learnt to drive in an Austin 1800 Ute – pulled over by the coppers at 14! I’m mostly into GM muscle cars and Holden HQs (Google that) these days but keep coming back here.

    Keep up the good work. Oh, and don’t mention the Ashes…

  27. @Webby
    I will then, sack Ponty and get Warne back – he is a legend and he pulled Liz Hurley so you can’t blame a bloke for that! Back to cars, how about the new Ford Boss FPV 335 GT? The car the MG ZT V8 should have been!

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