The Flagging Lion

That the Government could ever have contemplated, even for a moment, selling off Jaguar, perhaps to a foreign buyer, the make that has recovered its former prestige more convincingly than any other in the BL conglomerate, was incredible. So it is with great relief that we learn that this plan will not be proceeded with.

But now the Government is welcoming Nissan to Sunderland, with the promise of a substantial subsidy of taxpayers’ money to assist the profitable Japanese giant to assemble its cars in Britain, from parts imported from Japan. The building of such a factory in this country will eventually provide several thousand jobs for British operatives (Nissan wants them under one union), so any criticism of the development might seem cadishly uncharitable.

However, if this venture is as successful as it is obviously expected, to be, pure logic suggests that the sales of Nissan cars in Britain, free from import embargos, must erode those from car factories in other parts of the country, so that job gains will eventually equate with job losses. An expensive stalemate, it would appear, from which we will be incapable of retracting, and from which we may never recover. . . .

So we ask, what has become of the British lion? Let us hope it will soon revert to the proud spirit it showed before and during the war and roar loudly enough to strike fear into the hearts and minds of those who seek to undermine our once great and prosperous Motor Industry.

W. B.