Wheel Britannia: the indispensable British motoring industry

A classic Jaguar XK120 in the 2015 Mille Miglia driven by model and TV presenter Jodie Kidd and model and GQ.com columnist David Gandy.

THE BRITISH auto industry is a robust, booming sector in the UK economy. It boasts of world-famous brands from Aston Martin to Rolls-Royce. Based in the United Kingdom are seven commercial vehicle manufacturers, seven mainstream car manufacturers, eight major premium and sports car manufacturers, eight out of 11 Formula One teams, 13 research and development centers, and nine bus manufacturers.

From the early development of the automobile until the 1950s, the British auto industry flourished. By the 1950s, the United Kingdom was the second-largest auto manufacturer after the United States, and the largest exporter. The industry went through a period of decline in the 1970s and 1980s. The industry’s best brands and companies were acquired by foreign owners. A resurgence followed, with a new confidence in British design and manufacturing expertise.

Some of the factors that make the British auto industry indispensable:

Heritage

Car companies that were born in the United Kingdom are instantly identifiable, their traits well known to any motoring enthusiast, even without any direct ownership or driving experience. The UK brands, among them Aston Martin, Bentley, Jaguar, Lotus, Land Rover and Rolls-Royce, are simply iconic.

Key to a car’s identity is its styling, and the car brands have been careful to maintain the classic appearance, albeit modernized for a new audience. The modern MINI Cooper, in its various body styles, is instantly identifiable as a successor to the cheeky 1960s original.

Sean Connery would be able to pick out the all-new Aston Martin DB10 from a hundred paces. Likewise, Daniel Craig slips quite comfortably into the driver’s seat of the 50-year-old DB5 as if he had always owned it. That’s heritage.

Quality and workmanship

THE PHANTOM on display at the Rolls-Royce showroom

You haven’t experienced workmanship until you’ve sat upon the plush leather of a Bentley chair or touched the wooden dashboard of a Rolls-Royce. British brands have developed their manufacturing processes over decades, particularly the premium and luxury brands. Employees who are involved in intricate processes that are felt by the customer, such as the interior trim, go through a period of apprenticeship. After mastering the necessary skills, they go on to work on the cars that bear the famous brands.

While older British cars have gained a reputation for eccentricity, particularly where electricals are concerned, the new management from the United States, India, China and Germany have implemented quality standards that have elevated British-made cars to world-class levels.

Technology and innovation

Each manufacturer has its own field of expertise. Jaguar makes road cars that are sporty and comfortable, while being jaw-droppingly stunning. Land Rover makes some of the world’s toughest offroaders. Lotus is best at making lightweight vehicles.

Behind each of those qualities is a whole spectrum of design and manufacturing expertise. Jaguar has decided to exploit aluminum as a material to deliver relatively lightweight high-performance cars.

The engineering ability of British firms is also embodied by the motorsport teams and the hundreds of supplier companies based in the United Kingdom. Some of them, such as McLaren, are huge companies that run their own Formula One teams and develop their own road cars. Many others are comprised by a handful of engineers and craftsmen who are the best at one thing: helping to make racing cars go faster.

Britain played a central role in world history, science, and literature, and it’s a fortunate effect that the country also had such a positive influence on the motoring industry. It’s simply impossible to imagine the auto industry without British cars.