BLMC replies to MS

Sir,

When you did us the honour in September of devoting your entire editorial to British Leyland, I felt it incumbent upon me to reply. As you said, however, you were going to have another little go at us in the October issue and it might be better to wait until November to reply to the whole lot in one fell swoop. To take both of your editorials point by point and correct what we believe to be your wrong impressions would, however, I fear take much more space than I presume you are prepared to devote in your correspondence section.

There seems to be a wide difference of opinion between your publication and ourselves and I feel the only way that we can give your readers a satisfactory impression of what British Leyland is trying to achieve would be for you to come around to see us at our headquarters in Berkeley Square House and fire at us all the questions, allegations, rude remarks and suggestions you would wish.

May I, therefore, invite you, Mr. Boddy, together with any members of your staff you may care to bring along, to come round to see Lord Stokes and any other executives appropriate to the circumstances. I can assure you that you will be very welcome and that the replies you get will be factual, informative and frank. Please let me know when this will be convenient for you and I do hope that you will be fair enough to publish a factual account of the proceedings.

I would like to correct just one impression now, however, which emerges from your editorials and indeed this is enhanced by the little balls of fire you toss our way on other occasions—you obviously feel that British Leyland doesn’t like or doesn’t care about Motor Sport. You couldn’t be further from the truth. We like you, we read you, you stimulate us—we listen to the criticisms, both yours and those of your readers. We even get a little praise now and again and we love that especially. You’re bright, tough, contentious, lively and damned prejudiced and we wouldn’t have you any other way.

KEITH HOPKINS, Director of Public Relations. – London, W1

[We are delighted to accept this invitation and look forward to an early meeting with Lord Stokes.—Ed.]