MINI (R50/R56)
People : Frank Stephenson
It’s the 20th anniversary of the MINI (R50) going on sale – how time flies – and, to mark the occasion, Keith Adams takes out 30 minutes to chat to […]
People
George Turnbull
Essay : Morris Marina – How well did it sell?
Now widely seen as a joke car by the general public, who misunderstood the market it was aimed at, the Morris Marina sold well in comparison with its British Leyland stablemates. How successful […]
Opinion
People : Tony Benn
AROnline’s historian-in-residence, Ian Nicholls, dusts off his archive once again and plays devil’s advocate to discuss whether the late Tony Benn’s socialist plan for BL was right all along… Call […]
People
People : Octav Botnar and the rise and fall of Datsun/Nissan UK
Bill McWilliam, a former Nissan UK and Nissan Motor GB employee, recounts the interesting and sometimes turbulent story of Octav Botnar’s reign at the top of the British motor industry. […]
Alec Issigonis
Concepts and prototypes : BMC 9X (1968-87)
The most comprehensive story you’ll ever read about the aborted 9X programme – the ill-fated Mini replacement, engineered by the man who created the original. […]
Austin Allegro (ADO67)
The cars : Austin Allegro (AD067) development story
What’s left to be said about the Allegro – it never met sales predictions, earned a terrible reputation in the press and with buyers, and its fame far exceeded its influence in the automotive industry. British Leyland threw everything into making it a success, and yet failed dismally… […]
Development story
The cars : Range Rover development story
The Range Rover’s launch in 1970 came after a long lead-up as the company grappled with the issue of building an additional model that was more-road focused than the agricultural […]
Archive
People : Spen King interview
Into the future, with Spen King ‘The next Rover model will be very much a Rover car. It will be better than previous Rovers. A lot better, actually.’ Rover-Triumph head […]
People
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 […]
People
People : Peter Wilks, Rover designer
Ian Nicholls recounts the life and achievements of Rover engineering genius, Peter Wilks. […]
Development story
The cars : Rover SD1 development story
Featuring five-door supercar-aping styling, and one of the nicest engine notes ever to grace an executive car, the Rover SD1 has a place in the hearts of many car enthusiasts […]
People
Obituary : Sir Michael Edwardes 1930-2019
Keith Adams recalls Sir Michael Edwardes, the Chairman and Chief Executive of British Leyland’s turbulent ride at the top of the company. It might have been a rough ride for […]
Alec Issigonis
The cars : Mini (ADO15) development story – Part One
The Mini is 60 years old this week. The AROnline development story tells the tale of how this small car changed the way we looked at economy cars almost overnight. […]
George Turnbull
People : George Turnbull
George Turnbull was a key player in the British Leyland story following its formation in 1968, but was never given the top job which he so richly deserved. His was […]
People
People : Interview with Donald Stokes
In this article dated 21 June 1971 from The Guardian, Lord Stokes gives vent about the present and future of British Leyland Motor Corporation. It’s more of a stream of consciousness […]
Concepts and prototypes
Concepts and prototypes : BL Technology ECV3 (1982)
In the late-1970s, BL invested in its future by looking at the next step in engineering design. Under the leadership of Spen King, British Leyland Technology was created, and out of it came some fascinating projects, including the lightweight ECV3 prototype. […]
AROnline News
News : Former Rover public relations legend Denis Chick retires
After enjoying a motor industry career spanning six decades – most of it with Rover – long-serving public relations boss, Denis Chick, has finally decided to hang up his automotive […]
BL50
BL50 : Video – George Turnbull and the creation of Hyundai
Here’s an intriguing documentary on the early years of the Hyundai Motor Company, and how former Austin-Morris Managing Director, George Turnbull, spearheaded the creation of this car manufacturing giant in […]
Concepts and prototypes
Concepts and prototypes : Triumph SD2 (1971-1975)
Keith Adams gives the Internet’s most detailed account of the Triumph SD2. What it should have looked like, what lay under the skin and, ultimately, why it was cancelled so late […]
Alec Issigonis
People : Sir Alec Issigonis
Sir Alec Issigonis: an insight into the great man, from an interview originally published in Autocar magazine to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the launch of the Mini. […]
People
People : The Harold Musgrove Interview
The Harold Musgrove interview is the one you’ve been waiting for. He was Chairman of the Austin Rover Group between 1982 and ’86, and now he shares his unique insight […]
Obituary
Obituary : Timo Makinen 1938-2017
AROnline is sad to report the passing of legendary Finnish rally driver Timo Makinen on 4 May 2017, aged 79. Among his achievements were a hat trick of wins in the […]
Archive
Archive : 40 years ago – Ryder Report submitted for Government approval
On 26 April 1977, the Ryder Report was submitted for government approval. In it, were detailed breakdowns of what funding British Leyland would need, both to survive in the short term, and then deliver in the more distant future. […]