People
People : Forgotten chairmen – Sir Austin Bide
Every BMC/BL/Rover fan has heard of Lord Stokes, Sir Michael Edwardes and Sir Graham Day. They were the most famous chairmen of British Leyland. But three other men occupied the post after Lord Stokes: Professor Sir Ronald Edwards, Sir Richard Dobson and Sir Austin Bide. Here’s the story of the last. By Ian Nicholls. 3: [...]
March 22, 2013
· 
Keith Adams · 
17 Comments
People : Forgotten chairmen – Sir Richard Dobson
Every BMC/BL/Rover fan has heard of Lord Stokes, Sir Michael Edwardes and Sir Graham Day. They were the most famous chairmen of British Leyland. But three other men occupied the post after Lord Stokes: Professor Sir Ronald Edwards, Sir Richard Dobson and Sir Austin Bide. Here’s the story of the second. By Ian Nicholls. 2: [...]
March 20, 2013
· Keith Adams · 17 Comments
People : Forgotten chairmen – Sir Ronald Edwards
Every BMC/BL/Rover fan has heard of Lord Stokes, Sir Michael Edwardes and Sir Graham Day. They were the most famous chairmen of British Leyland. But three other men occupied the post after Lord Stokes: Professor Sir Ronald Edwards, Sir Richard Dobson and Sir Austin Bide. Here’s the story of the first. By Ian Nicholls. Professor [...]
March 17, 2013
· Keith Adams · 7 Comments
Blog : 20 years on, let’s remember George Turnbull
Keith Adams More cruelty at the hands of the passage of time, I’m afraid. Next week marks the 20th anniversary of the passing of George Turnbull, who without doubt, was one of the UK’s most successful motor industry executives. Okay, so his greatest achievements weren’t actually made in the UK, but his career within ‘the [...]
December 14, 2012
· Keith Adams · 21 Comments
News : Ratan Tata interviewed by the Brum Post
Graeme Brown Indian industrialist Ratan Tata has transformed the fortunes of Jaguar Land Rover since taking over the firm in 2008. He speaks to Graeme Brown about the future of the Midlands’ most important company. It has become the UK’s go-to success story – a historic car-maker that has gone from losing hundreds of millions [...]
July 21, 2012
· Keith Adams · 23 Comments
People : George Turnbull
George Turnbull was instrumental in the British Leyland story following its formation in 1968. Keith Adams He who would be king… IF ever a man was born into the motor industry, George Turnbull was: his father was the manager of the Standard Motor Company’s service and spare parts organization, worldwide. Turnbull Senior was also supervisor [...]
October 2, 2011
· Keith Adams · No Comments
People : Peter North, Leyland Australia
Anything but an average company? I rarely have much reason to be grateful to my 14 year old self, but searching through some old papers at the weekend, I was delighted by my youthful prescience in keeping a Financial Times article from 26 June 1973, the day of the Leyland P76’s launch in Australia. Don’t [...]
September 28, 2011
· Keith Adams · 8 Comments
People : Richard Woolley
Richard Woolley is a successful stylist, with credits that include the Rover 600 and much-lauded Rover 75. His unstinting enthusiasm for the marque comes across in the email correspondence we have shared, and the fact that he is responsible for the shape of Rover’s two best looking cars in recent years, means that whatever he [...]
August 28, 2011
· Keith Adams · 2 Comments
People : Lord Stokes
Lord Stokes: He was up against it from day one when British Leyland was formed in 1968… As is revealed in this interview by Eduard Steiner, which appeared in Auto Motor Und Sport in 1970, it didn’t lessen the man’s optimism for the future, or his pleasure at becoming a Lord. Stokes said he was [...]
August 28, 2011
· Keith Adams · No Comments
People : Harris Mann
Classic Car Weekly magazine features editor, and Allegro and Princess owner Richard Gunn talks to Harris Mann about his life, career, and confesses that not even he liked the Quartic wheel… AS A classic motoring journalist, I guess I lead a pretty privileged life. I get paid money to write about a subject that fascinates [...]
August 28, 2011
· Keith Adams · One Comment
People : Spen King
An interview with the man behind many of the company’s greatest cars – and a few that you might not immediately associate with him…. Interviewed by Keith Adams, 13th December 2002 ROVER had enjoyed a very successful time during the 1950s and 1960s – once the company was swallowed by Leyland, Donald Stokes asked King [...]
August 28, 2011
· Keith Adams · No Comments
People : Sir Alec Issigonis
Sir Alec Issigonis: an insight into the great man, from an interview originally published to coincide with the twentieth anniversary of the launch of the Mini. From Autocar magazine, 25 August 1979 The genius today Sir Alec Issigonis still has some interesting ideas on car design. Anne Hope finds he still hates all things big. [...]
August 28, 2011
· Keith Adams · No Comments
People : Raymond Baxter
A brief chat with the man who was brought into BMC by George Harriman in 1965, with a view to oiling the troubled waters within the company. Interviewed by Keith Adams, 14th November 2002 The BMC Juggernaut was heading for trouble, and it was too late in the day even for a luminary like Raymond [...]
August 28, 2011
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People : Roy Axe
Filling the shoes of the great David Bache was never going to be an easy task. Roy Axe, however, managed to call upon all his Rootes/Chrysler experience to do just this. In fact, not only did Roy Axe succeed in this role, he excelled – although his product plan did not quite see fruition. Correspondence [...]
August 28, 2011
· Keith Adams · No Comments
People : Lord Stokes interview
Autocar, 26 July 1973 Lord Stokes Speaks What I Plan For Triumph In an interview with Graham Robson, Lord Stokes laid bare his plans for sports car motoring at Triumph, and went on to make several provocative remarks about motor sport, new legislation and the future for sports cars in general. Graham Robson – The [...]
August 28, 2011
· Keith Adams · One Comment
Interview : Alec Issigonis on the BMC 1100
Motor magazine, August 1962 WHY IS THE ADO16? Alec Issigonis, technical director of the British Motor Corporation and Charles Griffin, chief engineer, answer questions from our technical editor. Joseph Lowrey, Motor – As soon as they discovered the Mini-Minor’s remarkable qualities, Motorists began asking whether your unique design could also be scaled up into something [...]
August 27, 2011
· Keith Adams · No Comments
People : Harry Webster on the Triumph 1300
Autocar 18 February 1966 Triumph 1300 Harry Webster Talks To Ronald Barker About Its Background And Evolution Ronald Barker – My first question, Mr Webster, is when did you initiate the 1300 project? Harry Webster – About three years ago, I suppose – anyhow, some time after the Leyland takeover. Ronald Barker – So this [...]
August 20, 2011
· Keith Adams · 4 Comments
Obituary : Tom Walkinshaw
Keith Adams Tom Walkinshaw The motor sport community is in mourning following the news that Tom Walkinshaw has died after a battle with cancer. Walkinshaw ran the Benetton, Ligier and Arrows teams in Formula 1 although he is best known for his role in turning Benetton into a World Championship winning equipe, as well as securing the services [...]
December 15, 2010
· Keith Adams · 8 Comments
Obituary : Roy Axe
Keith Adams Roy Axe, former Design Director for Rootes Group, Chrysler UK, Chrysler in the USA and Rover has died aged 73. The creator of countless cars, he had been battling with cancer for more than two years and had been living in Florida for the past decade following going into retirement after selling his own [...]
October 5, 2010
· Keith Adams · 26 Comments
Obituary : Alex Park
Alex Park: chief executive of British Leyland Alex Park ran British Leyland during a controversial period of the motor manufacturer’s history in 1975-78. Park fought hard to revive the newly nationalised company’s fortunes by stemming the haemorraghing of its funds, restructuring its operations and attempting to raise productivity, but left before being able to fully [...]
July 15, 2009
· Keith Adams · One Comment
