There has been plenty of food for thought this week for those trying to predict what the
Consider the news surrounding two companies, MG Rover and Dyson, both known around the world as ‘British’ businesses.
As The Engineer went to press, MG Rover was at the centre of what are described as make-or-break talks with Shanghai Automotive that would see the Chinese car company take a stake — probably a controlling one — in the British group.
But what’s in it for the Chinese? The cruel reality is that Shanghai Automotive’s interest does not lie in the
No, the reason for their interest in MG Rover is its ‘intellectual capital’ — its people and its brand. The company’s designers, development engineers and the skilled end of its production workforce represent a huge asset to a ferociously ambitious Chinese car industry that is still feeling its way as a global player.
Likewise, MG Rover’s established car brands, especially if reinvigorated by a large dose of
It may be that MG Rover’s future lies as a maker of cars designed in
Would they still be British cars? In the most important respects, yes. Only a few weeks ago we celebrated the unveiling of the A380, happy that a significant proportion of the aircraft — the best bits, we would argue — came from here.
Which brings us to Dyson. This week the consumer products firm pulled off the not inconsiderable feat of taking, from a standing start, the largest share of the
It has done so by a combination of innovative engineering, good design and clever brand marketing. Founder James Dyson sailed into a storm when he moved production of his products to