Auto Historian Cites Thatcher for Current British Auto Industry

Garel Rhys, former director of the Centre for Automotive Industry Research at Cardiff Business School, says that the British should thank Margaret Thatcher for the current state of British brands. His argument is that Thatcher's support of British LeylandLeylandUnited Kingdom, 1896 > 19204 models
from 1979 to 1988. 

According to Rhys, her support kept British brands like Land RoverLand RoverUnited Kingdom, 1978 > present15 models
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9 videos
, JaguarJaguarUnited Kingdom, 1922 > present53 models
2174 photos
16 videos
, BentleyBentleyUnited Kingdom, 1919 > present37 models
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5 videos
and Rolls-RoyceRolls-RoyceUnited Kingdom, 1904 > present31 models
1281 photos
1 video
survive long enough for the brands to eventually be bought by foreign automakers. Thatcher also lured Japanese automakers to begin building cars in the UK, which has proved a complete success. 

"Thatcher's administration created the bedrock for the present British motoring industry with the money it spent on British Leyland," said Rhys.

Thatcher was famously against state-owned business and privatized many of Britain’s' formerly nationalized industries. However, she never privatized British Leyland and supported them with £2.9 billion ($4.4 billion) from 1979 to 1988. 

British Leyland was formed in 1968 when the British Motor Corporation merged with Leyland to control nearly every British motor brand, except for FordFordUnited States of America, 1903 > present92 models
2522 photos
11 videos
and VauxhallVauxhallUnited Kingdom, 1857 > present31 models
801 photos
6 videos
. At its height, British Leyland's brands had a 40% market share in Britain.

By the mid 80s, support for British Leyland began to wane. It sold off its truck brands in 1987 and sold shares of Jaguar in 1984, until Ford bought it in 1990.  

"Jaguar Land Rover came out of the rescue. MiniMINI (BMW)Germany, 2000 > present15 models
2211 photos
7 videos
was saved, along with Leyland DafDAFNetherlands, 1928 > present7 models
30 photos
trucks," said Rhys.

The last portions of British Leyland finally died in 2005 when Rover finally when out of businesses and was bought by SIACShanghaiChina, 1958 > 19792 models
.

Source: Automotive News Europe