How well do you Know British Automaker Flops and Failures?
Which material was used to make the tough-to-maintain engine block on the Hillman Imp? Ford of Britain sold the Cortina, a large family car, from 1962 through 1982. Despite being a top seller, it had a short engine life and few are still on the road today. Sadly, many were unfamiliar with requirements for maintaining this aluminum engine, leading to complaints about reliability. Which company made the Cortina, one of the UK’s bestselling cars of the ’70s? The Hillman Imp was the first British car with a cast-aluminum engine block when it came out in 1963 as a competitor for Mini.
Which 1975 Reliant failed to achieve sales success despite being only the company’s second four-wheeled car? Reliant switched from a three- wheel design to a standard four-wheel one with the introduction of the Kitten in 1975. Despite great fuel economy, the car never really took off because of a price tag that was higher than many of its competitors. The Renault Wind was a two-seat roadster produced between 2010 and 2013. It suffered from poor sales thanks to a less-than-powerful engine and related performance issues. Which of these British car models came out in 1980 and was designed to compete with the Mini? Which company introduced UK buyers to a roadster called Wind in 2010?
It did earn one superlative — it was named Car Most Likely to be Stolen in 2003 in a UK Car Theft Index. Which of these features made the Reliant Robin stand out in a crowd? While the car had two rear wheels, it only had one central wheel in the front, causing it to tip over at times. The Reliant Robin was built in England starting in the early ’70s.
Think you can identify the biggest flops and failures by British automakers? By the time these labor issues were resolved, the car had already developed a bad reputation and buyers weren’t interested. Take our quiz to find out! What year did Brits first get the chance to buy the Triumph TR7 — a car plagued with production issues due to strikes at the Liverpool factory? British Leyland produced the two-two Triumph TR7 roadster from 1974 to 1981. The car suffered from countless production problems, mostly due to strikes among workers at the Liverpool manufacturing plant.
Which Morris model, introduced in 1971, had steering problems that were so bad drivers often ended up on the wrong side of the road? Not only was the Marina prone to nasty rust, but the car had terrible steering and suspension problems that made driving a true chore for buyers. Built between 1975 and 1977, the Panther Rio was a four-door luxury saloon designed to draw sales from Rolls Royce. The Morris Marina, produced between 1971 and 1980, was a top seller during the time despite a plethora of problems. Which company’s Dolomite frame did Panther use when building the ultra luxurious Rio in the mid-’70s?
