16/02/2012 15:37 | By Chris Rees, contributor, MSN Cars
RIP dead car brands

RIP dead car brands



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So farewell, then, Saab. Your Swedish cool, your quirks and quickness couldn't save you. You didn't make the end of 2011, and a 64-year-long career as a much-loved maker of distinctively Scandinavian motors finally conked out.

Sadly Saab is not alone. Many other brands have fallen by the wayside in recent times, whether the result of economic meltdown, changing fashions, or sheer mismanagement.
The last 15 years have been a particularly torrid time for American brands. No less than seven of them - Plymouth, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Mercury, Eagle, Saturn, Hummer - have been axed in that time.

So here are the 12 biggest brand casualties of the last 15 years. But be warned: with the world economy as it is, these may well not be the last...

40Comments
20/02/2012 21:01
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For Tim,B, as near as damn it, 33 million people have a uk driving licence.
20/02/2012 02:17
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I passed my test in 75 in a Land rover. Then my HGV 3 in a Bedford. Then my HGV2 in a Mammoth Major. All British and all used by HM Forces. Same nowadays. HM Forces try to keep the contracts local.
 I now drive for National Express who are Spanish owned and unfortunately go down the "Much Cheapness " route!

20/02/2012 00:05
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How many people have a UK Licence ??
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So the simplistic and dismissive explanation is to blame  the person in office at that time and naively expect the next incumbent to behave differently instead of seeing the whole picture. This is exactly how the power behind those offices operates and perpetuates it's asset stripping of many nations.

There is only one solution that will deal with this issue and that is the prevention of that power from choosing the election candidates. It should be our choice but under the present system it is only a choice of those who are already chosen for us. The outcome is always the same.

19/02/2012 18:53
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This is exactly my point they do have control over our financial wellbeing and more, the real issues are that in my lifetime all governments have failed the electorate in varying degrees and i don,t see it getting better anytime soon.I made a comment about Gordon Brown and considerd i should substantiate my view but i equally agree he is not on his own,we have very real issues home and abroad and i have no confidence in the present government and even less in the current alternatives to effectively deal with these issues.
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So tell me george paley do you stll believe that such people have no control over our financial wellbeing

Yes I do!

The only thing they all do is act as puppets for the real power that controls the money. Anyone who tries to buck the system is  quickly disposed of. Look at your true history not the propaganda that excuses their cowardice and traitorous behaviour - and I am talking about all parties and their leaders.

Thatcher, under orders, sold off a thousand times more national worth than mere gold.

Cameron is about to sell off our NHS and our road systems and if you calculate the profit margin that they will yeild it  makes the gold sell-off pale into insignificance.

Watch carefully what is happening to Greece...it happened to us a long time ago.

19/02/2012 17:48
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I think therefore that  Gordon Brown qualifies for being the biggest numpty of all time,just on the gold give away alone.So tell me george paley do you stll believe that such people have no control over our financial wellbeing.
19/02/2012 17:40
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Ok,for the benefit of george paley,between 1999 and 2002 gordon brown whilst chancellor took the decition to sell off half our gold reserves 395 ton whilst gold was at a all time low for 20 yrs and despite a impending economy slow down and ultimate recession,he did this against the advise of the bank of england but with support of ed balls,ed milliband and baroness vadera who were his close advisors at the time.The gold was sold in 17 auctions over three yrs for between 256 and 296 dollars,the price of gold today is around 1200 dollars,so i think i,m justified in saying he gave it away,he has cost us more than 10 billion about £600 each.
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Gordon Brown didn't give our gold away he sold it and the person who bought it set up the sale and crashed the price of gold just before it was auctioned. We were robbed by the same person who is robbing us at this very minute.

Gordon Brown, just like Cameron, had /has no control over our financial wellbeing.

 

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Richard, If you have a degree in the subject then tell me who was responsible for the  unreliable rust buckets that were the worst output that ever was produced from the motor industry? Who designed them and who overseered their production.

It certainly wasn't the shop floor nor was it the unions.

 

19/02/2012 12:45
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Jaguar and landrover were sold to Tata for a song and instead of the uk government buying them and restaking our claim in the industry they instead write off the loan made to India totalling more than 3 times more than jaguar and landrover could have been bought for,the lunatics running the aslymn springs to mind add in the fact that Gordan Brown gave all our gold away,it was a really good time for us to blow millions.China tried to buy saab but it seems clear GM did,nt want to sell and yet GM went for a hand out by the american government,beggers belief really.
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@goerge paly

 

I Do Know what I am On about  I have a Degree in the Subject  I read all the Left Wing Communist and General Idiot comments written on these pages often enough.

  Whilst we are Still Allowed to have an Opinion,  I feel Justified in putting it in writing, it is Not Libellous Salacious or in an way Misleading,

You Might Not Like IT but I do not like a lot of what is written Either.

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Richard pot black,

 

You have no idea of what you are talking about!

 

17/02/2012 23:36
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In 1940, when Maybach stopped making cars, they were switched to tank engine production, making the engines for the Tiger and Panther tanks.

i nearly bought a Daihatsu, but the dealer was too far away.........

17/02/2012 18:05
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Sad to see Saab go...but agree they haven't made a good car in years.They were just Vectra's in drag...only much more expensive,and not that well put together either.

Owned a few in my time,mainly 99's and a 900 turbo......back when they DID make a damn good car.

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What about TVR or even Bedford if you want to go back a few years. Car companies are like any other business, some are in fashion longer than others. And don't get me started on British motorcyles and Lambretta scooters!
17/02/2012 12:54
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WHAT ABOUT THE

                                          ROLLS CANARDY        

 

                          ROLLS DOWN HILL              CAN HARDLY GET UP EM

 

                                                                           SmileSmileSmileSmileSmile

                                                                                      

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THE REASON FOR THE DEMISE OF THE BRITISH CAR INDUSTRY WAS NOT THE FACT THAT WE ARE BAD AT RUNNING LARGE BUSINESSES IT WAS LARGELY DOWN TO THE LEFT WING /COMMUNIST UNIONS WHO DESTROYED THE INDUSTRIAL BASE OF THIS COUNTRY

 

GUESS WHAT THEY ARE STILL IN BUSINESS OF DOING THERE UPMOST TO RUIN THE REST OF THE UK

THEY AND THERE PUPPETS IN THE LIEBOUR PARTY WHO WANT MORE DOMINATION BY THE CORRUPT E.U WHO WANT TO COMPLETELY RUIN THIS COUNTRY  

17/02/2012 09:49
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Give me a 1970 Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda any day!
17/02/2012 00:27
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GM are doing a good job of screwing over Saab. Loads of people want to but the brand and keep up production but GM refuse to sell it. SOOO SAD.
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