On Tue, 23 Oct 2012 00:42:55 +0100
Bruce wrote:
The LTI cabs are built like Army trucks. I have a feeling that it

Translation: Its a road car in 2012 still being built using a ladder frame
chassis.

The company really only has itself to blame for its downfall for charging
silly money for an antique because it had a monopoly. Well, not any longer
and when they realised they'd have to up their game what did they do? Improve
the taxi? Design something modern? Nope, they used cheap **** components from
china. Genius.

B2003

On Tue, 23 Oct 2012 08:54:00 +0000 (UTC), d
wrote:

On Tue, 23 Oct 2012 00:42:55 +0100
Bruce wrote:
The LTI cabs are built like Army trucks. I have a feeling that it

Translation: Its a road car in 2012 still being built using a ladder frame
chassis.

The company really only has itself to blame for its downfall for charging
silly money for an antique because it had a monopoly. Well, not any longer
and when they realised they'd have to up their game what did they do? Improve
the taxi? Design something modern? Nope, they used cheap **** components from
china. Genius.

It's likely that Geely will buy Manganese Bronze cheaply from the
receiver, sans debts. The taxis are already mainly based on Chinese
components, so they might as well assemble the London taxis in
Shanghai, as they already do the cabs destined for other markets. Or
maybe they could use another of their European brands to do it: Volvo.

On Tue, 23 Oct 2012 13:13:17 +0100
Recliner wrote:
It's likely that Geely will buy Manganese Bronze cheaply from the
receiver, sans debts. The taxis are already mainly based on Chinese

Possibly.

components, so they might as well assemble the London taxis in
Shanghai, as they already do the cabs destined for other markets. Or

Are there many other markets? That whole "traditional" british schtick only
takes you so far. If the vehicle is crap no one will buy it unless they've
got no other option, especially at the silly money they were charging.
It sank without trace in the US when they tried to flog it there IIRC.

B2003

wrote:
On Tue, 23 Oct 2012 13:13:17 +0100
Recliner wrote:
It's likely that Geely will buy Manganese Bronze cheaply from the
receiver, sans debts. The taxis are already mainly based on Chinese

Possibly.

components, so they might as well assemble the London taxis in
Shanghai, as they already do the cabs destined for other markets. Or

Are there many other markets? That whole "traditional" british schtick only
takes you so far. If the vehicle is crap no one will buy it unless they've
got no other option, especially at the silly money they were charging.
It sank without trace in the US when they tried to flog it there IIRC.

It's not looking good:
"The administrators of Manganese Bronze, the Coventry-based company that
makes London black cabs, are making 156 staff redundant with immediate
effect.

The announcement from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) comes just a day after
it said it was in talks with an "encouraging" list of parties interested in
the company's rescue.

The redundancies account for more than half of the firm's 274 UK employees.

The Unite union said it was outraged at the "ruthless sacking" of staff.

The job losses affect both the group's head office and manufacturing site
in Coventry, with 99 out of 176 employees there being made redundant."
-- end quote
More in http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-20160247

On Wed, 31 Oct 2012 19:54:00 -0500
Recliner wrote:
The redundancies account for more than half of the firm's 274 UK employees.

The Unite union said it was outraged at the "ruthless sacking" of staff.

The job losses affect both the group's head office and manufacturing site
in Coventry, with 99 out of 176 employees there being made redundant."

Sounds like its on its way to becoming nothing more than another badge
aquisition by the chinese. Probably the chinese plan all along - don't provide
any financing , wait until firm goes bust then buy assets and shift production
to china.

B2003

On Thu, 1 Nov 2012 09:25:50 +0000 (UTC), d
wrote:

On Wed, 31 Oct 2012 19:54:00 -0500
Recliner wrote:
The redundancies account for more than half of the firm's 274 UK employees.

The Unite union said it was outraged at the "ruthless sacking" of staff.

The job losses affect both the group's head office and manufacturing site
in Coventry, with 99 out of 176 employees there being made redundant."

Sounds like its on its way to becoming nothing more than another badge
aquisition by the chinese. Probably the chinese plan all along - don't provide
any financing , wait until firm goes bust then buy assets and shift production
to china.

I was surprised just how small the operation already was, even before
these latest redundancies. I assume that most of the real
manufacturing must already have moved to China, with only final
assembly happening in the UK. I don't suppose recent London cabs
actually have very much UK content, so it's not much of a loss if the
British facade is finally removed.

On Thu, 01 Nov 2012 12:56:34 +0000
Recliner wrote:
I was surprised just how small the operation already was, even before
these latest redundancies. I assume that most of the real
manufacturing must already have moved to China, with only final
assembly happening in the UK. I don't suppose recent London cabs
actually have very much UK content, so it's not much of a loss if the
British facade is finally removed.

A conspiracy theorist might suggest that the chinese deliberately supplied
dodgy parts and - apparently - refused to replace them.

B2003

In message
,
at 19:54:00 on Wed, 31 Oct 2012, Recliner
remarked:

The Unite union said it was outraged at the "ruthless sacking" of staff.

Perhaps they could have a whip-round at union HQ to pay the wages for
the time being?
--
Roland Perry

Recliner wrote:

It's not looking good:

Time for common sense to prevail and for all brands of accessible minibus
to be permitted instead? I am unconvinced of the turning circle argument.

Neil
--
Neil Williams in Milton Keynes, UK. Put first name before the at to reply.

On 1 Nov 2012 13:06:33 GMT
Neil Williams wrote:
Recliner wrote:

It's not looking good:

Time for common sense to prevail and for all brands of accessible minibus
to be permitted instead? I am unconvinced of the turning circle argument.

It would be better for all if the cabs didn't have a small turning circle then
their drivers might be less inclined to do dangerous 180s on busy roads.

B2003