Last Ford Transit shift

[Kendhni]

Story here
A great shame to see this factory close which made such an iconic vehicle.

[Silver_Shiney]

Not just that, but the rest of the once-great British car manufacturing industry. We've lost many iconic makes, either to the administrators or to foreign companies who then move production abroad.

[Manoverboard]

Iconic ... it had more putty in it than steel

[david63]

I never realised that they were made in Southampton - for some reason I thought they were made in Dagenham

[Kendhni]

The question has to be asked as whether or not we can expect to be competitive against emerging countries. In a way it is what I hear many people asking for ... a redistribution of wealth (in the confines of this country) ... but in this case it is being done on a global scale.

[Kendhni]

I never realised that they were made in Southampton - for some reason I thought they were made in Dagenham

To be honest, so did I !

[sumdumbloke]

Not just that, but the rest of the once-great British car manufacturing industry. We've lost many iconic makes, either to the administrators or to foreign companies who then move production abroad.

I know it seems that way, SS, but the reality is really a bit different.

THe UK is a hub of manufacturing - behind only Germany in Europe and the one European country where volumes go on rising. Nissan are booming, and the very essence of British marques, Jaguar and Land Rover, are seeing volumes double that of a few short years ago (JLR have a new launch/facelift every 6 months between now and 2020)

Yes, Transit is moving to Turkey, but so long as the key design and engineering teams remain in UK, it's got a bright future. It's true we've swapped ownership for jobs, but that seems on balance a good trade.

[Manoverboard]

I think we should possibly remember that we are talking about an American Company and that the production of umpteen Ford vehicles in this Country over many years would have cost jobs in Detroit ... according, we could reasonably assume, to workers in the US and North American automotive industries.

[Silver_Shiney]

I think we should possibly remember that we are talking about an American Company and that the production of umpteen Ford vehicles in this Country over many years would have cost jobs in Detroit ... according, we could reasonably assume, to workers in the US and North American automotive industries.

fair point

[Dark Knight]

we should not forget also that Britian not only manufacures the cars a la Nissan ,Honda, Jaguar, Bentley, Mini, Land Rover etc
but that a large number of UK companies also produce the parts etc for that industry

[towny44]

Perhaps now UK buyers will change to Vauxhall who still produce vans in Luton, as well as Astras in Merseyside. So all you Fiesta, Focus & Transit buyers take note, if you want a British built, American owned, vehicle buy a Vauxhall.

[Delboy]

Not only have they closed Southampton but also the stamping plant at Dagenham, these closures were announced last year, it is cheaper for Fords to produce the Vans in Turkey where they have spare capacity and export them to Britain.

Basically Fords now only build engines in Britain, far different from the days when I worked for the Ford Motor Company in the late 1950's and early 1960's, not in the factory though, but in their accountants department in London and later at Dagenham when the department was transferred.
When I worked in Dagenham, one of my jobs on a Friday, was to to take the factory workers wages envelopes, (brown envelopes containing cash) to one of the collection points in the factory, escorted by security.

Those were the days when they produced cars like the Anglia, Cortina, Zepher and Zodiac, my first car being a Ford Anglia, which I travelled up to their plant in Halewood, Liverpool to collect. Most of the cars I have owned have been Fords, and today I still own and drive a Ford (Mondeo), and when I replace it next year, will probably be another Mondeo, although over the years I have driven many other makes, but most of those were company cars.

[The Monocled Mutineer]

Sumdumbloke:

Quite right. The UK car manufacturing sector remains very large. Also, it should be remembered that Ford was ALWAYS foreign owned!

In fact the biggest threat to the UK car industry is this idiotic idea to have a referendum on the UK remaining in the EU.

UKIP and half the Tory party and the sheep/idiot section of the population are playing fast and loose and will ruin this great nation of ours, being a strong member of the European Union

Derek Kane

[oldbluefox]

TMM, I would respectfully point out that the fact that those who favour our leaving the EU are neither sheep nor idiots any more than those who favour our continuing membership of the EU are sheep or idiots. They merely have a different opinion.

However this is a topic discussing Ford Transit's last shift, not our membership of the EU.

[Silver_Shiney]

While there are certainly car assembly plants in the UK, (and I agree that Fix Or Replace Daily has always been an American company), what about the smaller independents and marques you don't see anymore ? Reliant, Triumph, Hillman etc? All either closed or bought out and product moved elsewhere?

Proud to be a sheep... (where leaving the EU is concerned)

[towny44]

Keeping to car manufacture only although it applies to all trade, is it conceivable that any UK Govt., even following an EU out vote, would not ensure that any exit deal continued in a free trade style arrangement, just like Norway, Switzerland etc.
Furthermore since the UK is the largest net contributor after Germany and has the largest imbalance in trade by value, is it likely that the EU would not move heaven and earth to ensure we either stayed in on more favourable terms or retained the most favourable free trade agreement if leaving.

[The Monocled Mutineer]

OBF:

I never respectfully point anything out.

I just give it as I see it, and the average UKIP member I see in the town I work is usually some reactionary old ****, knuckle dragged or clueless sheep.

My introduction of EU membership into this thread was prompted by Somedumbloke's excellent post and my view that the important industry employing thousands of UK workers (not to mention many smaller UK supply businesses and their employees) and the suicide act that would result if our nation was to leave the EU, which would result in much of this UK based industry relocating to EU territory beyond our shores.

[oldbluefox]

TMM - 'the average UKIP member I see in the town I work is usually some reactionary old ****, knuckle dragged or clueless sheep'.

You need to get out more as your view of 'the average UKIP member' is not atypical'.

[david63]

Just a quick question - how does one recognise a UKIP member when out and about as opposed to a member of any other political party?

[oldbluefox]

According to some they have sore knuckles and baaaaa!!!

Sorry David. Couldn't help it!!

[Manoverboard]

According to some they have sore knuckles and baaaaa!!!

Sorry David. Couldn't help it!!

Ah, you've obviously been to Andover then