What ever happened to British Pride in engineering and automobile manufacturing? We once made the finest cars in the world, today we hardly own or produce a British brand, with Morgan maybe the lone exception. Was it greed, laziness,lack of desire, irresponsibility or just an attitude of the world owes us a living. Was it the fault of unions,unrest,management or government? No doubt each in turn contributed to the demise of the British Auto Industry. Today, we have to wonder if the same thing is happening to the US Auto manufacturers. Japanese and Korean vehicles clog the interstates and highways, in sales they out pace all domestic manufacturers. Even German cars are out selling General Motors, once considered the biggest of the big three. Trump may tell Americans he will make the USA great again! but before that can happen Americans need to bring back a pride in their workmanship. Just my opinion!
Now for some ALTERNATIVE FACTS??????
Mr. Allen Swift: Born – 1908 – Died 2010
This man owned & drove the same car for 82 YEARS !
Can you imagine even having the same car for 82 years ?
Mr. Allen Swift of Springfield, Massachusetts, received this
1928 Rolls-Royce Piccadilly-P1 Roadster from his father, brand new as a graduation gift in 1928.
He drove it up until his death in 2010 … at the age of 102 !
He was the oldest living owner of a car that was purchased new.
Just thought you’d like to see it.
It was donated to a Springfield museum after his death.
It has 1,070,000 miles on it, still runs like a Swiss watch, dead silent at any speed, and is in perfect cosmetic condition.
82 years – That’s approximately 13,048 miles per year.
(1087 per month)…
1,070,000 that’s miles not kilometres ! That is roughly 1,600,000 kms.
Now that’s British engineering of a bygone era.
I don’t think they make them like that anymore.
Don’t you just love that style ?
This post is a mash-up of a P-1 Sedanca DeVille pictured, (alternative fact)perhaps, at Pebble Beach Concours (I wasn’t able to track down the image quickly), with the text of a 2012 report on a gent who did, apparently donate his Springfield Roller on his death at 102. For the original image and story, with online confirmation, please see: http://message.snopes.com/showthread.php?t=64040 . The mileage figures in the original text are much more plausible than those in the more recent report.
I wonder why people create fake news like this when the original was arguably just as interesting? Fact checking is going to become a growth industry, I think- especially after last November!
God Bless and keep reading and driving
irishroversbooks.wordpress.com 
With regard to British Engineering a small aside… Yesterday yesterday the 2017 Race to Monte Carlo started in Paisley Scotland (Glasgow) 2 vehicles which you love Mini Cooper S were in the race in 1967 one came first the other came 6th. Both have re entered the race 50 years on but I digress. One of the Minis has %100 original nuts bolts etc the other %95 because they did not have the original leather seats. Here is where I get back to British Engineering….The rolls Royce supplier of leather interiors. Made a project for some of their apprentices who then Custom made the original style of Leather seats for this Classic Mini, Just though you may enjoy that story. Robby
OOps forgot to leave these Links: http://www.paisley.org.uk/2017/01/cars-set-depart-paisley-historic-monte-carlo-rally/ https://www.facebook.com/Monte-Carlo-Classic-Car-Rally-UK-Leg-250620885008111/