108-578: Ford Duratec engine is a brand name of the Ford of Europe used for the company's range of gasoline -powered I3 , I4 , I5 and V6 passenger car engines. The original 1993 Duratec V6 engine was designed by Ford and Porsche . Ford introduced this engine in the Ford Mondeo . Over time, "Duratec" became an umbrella name for Ford's gasoline engines unrelated to the original V6. The Ford Zeta engine , Ford Sigma engine and Ford Cyclone engine all carry
216-816: A Royal Air Force heavy bomber, the Handley Page Halifax . These were built at a shadow factory at Speke Airport near Liverpool and at Blythe Bridge in Staffordshire from 1941 to 1943. Rootes also manufactured military vehicles, based on the Humber and Commer. Rootes had a rare lapse of business judgement shortly after World War II. When he visited the Volkswagen factory in Wolfsburg to evaluate it for war reparations, he opined that it – and
324-537: A Sulzer Brothers concept. This was the Commer TS3 2-stroke 3-cylinder engine, with 2 opposed inward facing pistons per cylinder, which drove the crankshaft through bell cranks. The 3.25 litre engine developed 90 hp (67 kW), equivalent to contemporary 4-stroke diesel engines of more than twice the capacity. The engine was used in Commer trucks as well as an industrial engine. Production ceased in 1968 after
432-487: A 1.3 petrol engine, was not a popular choice and had been discontinued by the time the Sierra was facelifted in early 1987 when a Sapphire saloon version was launched and the 1.3 engine dropped. The original Sierra Cosworth was the last model in the range to feature a three-door hatchback. 1983 saw the seven-year-old Ford Fiesta receive an updated MK2 version that retained the three-door hatchback bodyshell but smoothed out
540-527: A 1.8 diesel as well as the 1.6 fuel injected XR2i and RS Turbo sports models, the first Fiestas to feature fuel injection. Upmarket Ghia models were the first versions of the Fiesta to feature items such as electric windows and anti-lock brakes and was only available with the new five-door version. For much of the 1980s, the Ford Escort was the most popular model of car in the world and from 1982 to 1989, it
648-583: A 1982 launch. 1980 saw one of the most important car launches in Ford's history. The Escort III went on sale across Britain and Europe in September that year, with its ultra-modern aerodynamic styling and updated front-wheel drive mechanical layout. It was also available as a hatchback for the first time, with the Escort-based Orion saloon not arriving until 1983. The 2000 cc engine was dropped and
756-540: A 30 per cent interest in their ordinary capital offering current shareholders double the market price and a 50 per cent share in the non-voting preference capital for almost three times market price. The purchase would leave control in British hands. On completion Rootes family holdings would still exceed those of Chrysler. The purchase was completed in October 1964. During 1966 the holdings were increased to 45 per cent of
864-577: A booted alternative to the Escort and Sierra hatchbacks and estates. The saloon derived version of the Escort was named as the Orion but was aimed more upmarket than the Escort with no 1.1 litre engined version and initially only GL and Ghia trim levels. It was almost as long as a Sierra and many saw it as a true replacement for the traditional Cortina. Ford launched another ground-breaking new car in May 1985 with
972-702: A brand-new plant in the west of Scotland at Linwood . From its offices in Devonshire House , Piccadilly , in London it controlled exports and international distribution for Rootes and other motor manufacturers and its own local distribution and service operations in London , Kent , Birmingham and Manchester . There were assembly plants in nine countries outside the UK. Rootes Group was under-capitalised and unable to survive industrial relations problems and losses from
1080-563: A car sales agency independent from his father's Hawkhurst motor business. Rootes had moved his operations to Maidstone by 1914 and there he contracted to repair aero engines. In 1917 he formed Rootes Limited to buy the Maidstone branch of his father's motor business, founded by his father in 1897, to expand his aircraft engine repair business and the manufacture of aircraft parts. In 1919 the distribution of cars and commercial vehicles resumed and operations extended to London and other part of
1188-585: A comfortable interior all won praise for those who experienced the new car. The only major criticism of the Focus was its unoriginal styling which differed little from that of its predecessor but it remained one of the most popular cars in Europe during a production life which lasted more than six years. November 2005 saw the launch of a facelifted Fiesta which offered new styling inside and out as well as new colour options. 2006 saw Ford launch two new people carriers,
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#17327942823601296-400: A common product range would allow Ford to double source cars and components from either British or Continental plants (the Fiesta for example was simultaneously assembled at Dagenham, Valencia and Cologne), something which was especially important due to the fraught industrial relations problems which plagued the British motor industry in the 1970s, and would prove crucial in Ford's ascendancy in
1404-803: A decade. The Imp was finally discontinued in 1976, and the Hunter followed it three years later (although it continued to be produced in Iran). Indeed, componentry for the Iranian version of the car was a successful UK export during the 1980s. Only the Avenger-based Chrysler Sunbeam hatchback, launched in 1977 kept the Rootes lineage alive, although the Alpine name was still in use and later Alpine and Solara special edition models were given
1512-455: A hatchback from the traditional rear-wheel drive saloon which became a huge sales success across Europe. 20 years of Cortina production came to an end in October 1982 with the launch of the new Ford Sierra . The new car retained the traditional rear-wheel-drive chassis, perhaps surprisingly at the time when a front-wheel drive system was becoming almost exclusive in this sector of car. But in place of its predecessor's conventional, square styling
1620-401: A move into car manufacture, which was achieved in 1929 by the purchase of controlling interests in first Hillman followed by Humber and Commer . Hillman and Commer were made wholly owned subsidiaries of Humber Limited and the Rootes brothers' holding eventually became 60 percent of the Humber ordinary shares. The Rootes brothers could now show their ability to manufacture handsome cars with
1728-531: A reasonably successful start in 1963–65, the Imp did not sell well. Lost production caused by frequent strike action at Linwood and escalating warranty claims left Rootes no money to develop other models. During the 1950s, Rootes's promotion included a strategy of participation in major UK and European car rallies. Stirling Moss and Sheila van Damm were their top drivers, and the Sunbeam-Talbot 90 's win in
1836-582: A rebadged US-market Escape which launched in the same year, but sales were slow and was axed after 4 years. The demise of the Puma in 2002 left Ford without a competitor in the coupé sector once more while the Focus ST170 which launched at that time could be seen as an indirect successor. Ford entered the expanding compact MPV market in late 2003 with the Ford Focus C-Max which was unusually,
1944-526: A standard driver's airbag on all production models, with many cars also coming with a passenger's airbag as either standard or optional equipment. February 1993 saw Ford launch a ground-breaking new family car in the shape of the Mondeo , the replacement for the Sierra made to rival the newer Opel Vectra / Vauxhall Cavalier , Peugeot 405 and Nissan Primera . Finally making the transition to front-wheel drive,
2052-837: A strong sales appeal. There was a resurgence in domestic and export demand for pedal bicycles, and in February 1932 Raleigh acquired all the Humber cycles trade marks. Manufacture was transferred to Raleigh's Nottingham works. Rootes Limited was renamed Rootes Securities Limited in 1933. During the Depression more businesses were picked up as they came available: Karrier (1934), Sunbeam (1934), Clement Talbot (1934) and British Light Steel Pressings (1937) were all bought and made subsidiaries of Humber Limited. London's Mayfair coachbuilders and Rolls-Royce and Daimler dealers Thrupp & Maberly had been bought in 1926 their royal warrant always proudly displayed. A new Rootes Limited
2160-680: A total of 30,000 units sold in its 12-year lifespan—were both relatively successful in New Zealand. Hunter production continued there and in Ireland until 1979, and it was built in Iran by Iran Khodro as the Paykan for many years more. Unfortunately, with its problems in the US, Chrysler did not have the capital to invest in refreshing their entire product range, and sales of the older designs stagnated in
2268-487: The Beetle – had no value. Tilling-Stevens with its subsidiary Vulcan Motors , both old-established and well-known commercial vehicle and bus manufacturers, was bought in the second half of 1950. A new acquisition in 1956 was Singer Motors . Rootes' Singers, badge-engineered Hillmans, were aimed at slightly more upmarket small car buyers. Following the war, Rootes also sponsored satellite manufacturing operations around
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#17327942823602376-627: The Consul and Granada (large saloon, estate and coupé) which was aimed directly at the Opel Rekord, Rover P6, Audi 100 and Triumph 2000. It quickly outsold its rivals in many countries and in 1973 was the tenth best-selling car in Britain. Like the Capri and Cortina/Taunus models, the early Consuls and Granadas were built in both Britain and Germany, each with a unique range of national engines. In
2484-673: The Dodge Colt as its subcompact, sourced from Mitsubishi in Japan. The Colt proved a popular and reliable car, hastening the Cricket's demise. However, Chrysler Fevre Argentina commenced manufacturing the Hillman Avenger-based Dodge 1500, and this car continued in production until 1990. During its last 10 years of production it was badged as a Volkswagen after that firm acquired Chrysler's Argentine business. There
2592-459: The Ford Cougar , was imported from Europe but was even shorter-lived and less successful in Europe, with imports finishing after just two years. October 1994 saw the launch of the second generation Scorpio which replaced the long-running Granada nameplate in the UK and Ireland and sold with saloon and estate models only, the model quickly gained attention due to its controversial styling which
2700-673: The Paykan went into local production, which continued until 2004. It remains a common sight throughout the Middle East , especially as a taxi. The closure of Linwood in 1981 spelled the end (in Europe at least) for the Avenger. Chrysler had retained the rights to the car, and continued its production in Argentina . The demise of Linwood also meant the demise of the Talbot Sunbeam after just four years in production. Its successor
2808-593: The Rootes Group . The Escort would never achieve such dominance in Europe's largest auto market, but nevertheless took significant market share from the Opel and Volkswagen competitors of the time. Ford Europe's second new car launch was the Capri sporting coupé at the beginning of 1969. Loosely based on Ford UK 's rear-wheel drive Mk II Cortina saloon platform, it came with engines ranging from 1300 cc to 3000 cc and
2916-528: The USA , but like the smaller Spanish-built Maverick, it was not a strong seller either. Ford reentered the coupé market in early 1994 with its American-built, Mazda -based Probe . Available with 2.0 16-valve and 2.5 V6 petrol engines, the Probe was well regarded for its handling and performance but failed to sell as well as Ford had hoped and was withdrawn from Europe three years later. Its American-built replacement,
3024-477: The 1955 Monte Carlo Rally was the most significant victory. In 1968, Rootes entered a factory team in the London-Sydney Marathon . Driving a Hillman Hunter , Andrew Cowan gained what was regarded as a surprise victory against stiff competition from other factory teams with bigger budgets. William Rootes' particular business skills were in marketing. Rootes brothers' manufacturing business
3132-521: The 1963 introduction of a new aluminium-engined small car, the Hillman Imp . By mutual agreement, from mid-1964, Rootes Motors was taken over in stages by Chrysler , which bought control from the Rootes family in 1967. By the end of 1978 the last of the various elements of Chrysler UK had been sold to Peugeot and Renault . Rootes was founded in Hawkhurst , Kent , in 1913 by William Rootes as
3240-702: The Alpine and Sunbeam, there was the saloon derivative of the Alpine, the Talbot Solara (launched in early 1980 after Chrysler sold its European operations to Peugeot ), and Chrysler/Simca Horizon . The Alpine and Horizon were both voted European Car of the Year on their launch, and the Horizon was the basis for the US Plymouth Horizon and Dodge Omni , which were very successful for Chrysler and continued in production in various guises for more than
3348-588: The Chrysler takeover. Hillman when purchased had been making large cars. They introduced a straight-eight soon after Hillman became a subsidiary, but it was withdrawn as the Depression deepened. Their 2-1/2 and 3-litre cars were re-styled in the mid-1930s and renamed Humber Snipe and their small Minx was made the mainstay bread and butter member of the Rootes range. Sunbeam continued its sports appeal but downsizing postwar to small to medium-sized cars. Humber made
Ford Duratec engine - Misplaced Pages Continue
3456-762: The Duratec name, but are otherwise unrelated to each other or the original 1993 Duratec V6. The ambiguous use of the name is similar to Ford's use of the Zetec for the previous generation of gasoline engines, the Duratorq name for diesel engines, and EcoBoost for turbocharged gasoline engines. Ford of Europe Ford of Europe GmbH is a subsidiary company of Ford Motor Company founded in 1967 in Cork , Ireland , with headquarters in Cologne , Germany . Ford of Europe
3564-485: The Escort's shortcomings in September 1992 with a minor facelift which saw the introduction of its impressive new 1.4, 1.6 and 1.8 Zetec 16-valve units, the latter of which also found its way into the Fiesta RS1800. The Orion also received the same changes, only for the name to be shelved a year later and the saloon models absorbed into the Escort range. Ride and handling was also improved. For 1993, Ford introduced
3672-584: The French arm Simca was renamed Chrysler France at the same time), and subsequently disappeared from the public sphere. The various Rootes marques were progressively phased out during the 1970s. Only Hillman was left by 1977, when it, too, was shelved in favour of the Chrysler name. The Commer name was also phased out in the 1970s; the van and truck models mostly assuming the Dodge nameplate by 1976. In Iacocca—an Autobiography , former Chrysler chairman Lee Iacocca
3780-609: The Granada-replacing Ford Scorpio , although the Granada name was retained in the United Kingdom and Ireland with "Scorpio" being used as a sub-brand for the highest specification models. It was based on a stretched version of Sierra's rear-wheel-drive chassis and was far more modern looking than any other cars in its sector at this time, being similar in appearance to the smaller Sierra. It was also
3888-492: The Midlands, and the company incurred costs transporting half-finished engine castings from Linwood to be machined at Ryton and returned to Linwood once they had been assembled. Completed Imps returned south to Ryton, resulting in a 600-mile (970 km) round trip. The Imp itself was underdeveloped, and the build quality and reliability problems, coupled with buyer apathy towards the design were reflected in poor sales. After
3996-525: The Mondeo came with an impressive range of new 16-valve Zetec petrol engines as well as a 2.5 V6 that joined the line-up in 1994. It was also one of the first volume production cars to feature an airbag as standard. Hatchback, saloon and estate versions made up the range which won European Car of the Year accolade the following year. 1993 also saw the launch of its first European 4x4 model, the Maverick, which
4104-470: The Mondeo gained a facelift which saw the exterior styling brought up to date and the seating redesigned to improve space for rear seat passengers. The Fiesta chassis also spawned the stylish Puma coupé in 1997 which included the Fiesta's floorpan and 1.4 engine as well as its own 1.7 unit. The Puma won plaudits for its styling, handling and performance. Despite its popularity, there was no direct successor when production finished in 2002. Ford pulled out of
4212-633: The Rootes family now with new partner Prudential who had taken up all of the offered £1,000,000 of ordinary shares. External shareholders continued to hold a large proportion of Humber Limited. The preference shares issued to the public by Humber remained listed. In addition there were external shareholdings in the Rootes Acceptances vehicle exporting business and in Automobile Products of India . At this time employees totalled 17,000. Rootes owned, on average, about 80 per cent of
4320-634: The S-MAX and the Ford Galaxy MK2 . Both cars used the same underpinnings, but the S-MAX was a cheaper and sportier alternative to the more upmarket and practical Galaxy. The S-MAX then became the first full-size people carrier to be voted European Car of the Year . Ford launched the third generation Mondeo in May 2007 and had a facelift in Autumn 2010. The new generations of the Fiesta and Ka launched in late 2008. Rootes Group The Rootes Group
4428-571: The UK market and overtaking the troubled British Leyland . The first new model launched after the creation of Ford of Europe was the Escort , built in England from October 1967 and launched to market at the beginning of 1968. The Escort was a rear-wheel drive small family saloon that took the place of the British Anglia range and was built in both Britain and from 1970, Germany, although it
Ford Duratec engine - Misplaced Pages Continue
4536-593: The US was impeded by an inability to offer cars for sale during part of 1968, as the Rootes cars could not comply with exhaust emission requirements. In the early 1970s, with the rise of interest in sub-compact cars, Chrysler offered the Hillman Avenger in North America as the Plymouth Cricket . This attempt was aborted after only two years. At the same time, Chrysler's Dodge Division offered
4644-399: The back, was far from the best. This shortcoming was solved in Spring 2002 when the all-new MK5 Fiesta went on sale. This new Fiesta was to be built at Ford Cologne and Ford Valencia, each plant producing one Fiesta every 27 seconds. This also marked the end of Ford passenger car production in the UK after some 90 years, though commercial vehicles continued to be produced at Dagenham alongside
4752-434: The basis that they offered a level of superiority in design and finish. Studebaker stylist Raymond Loewy was a design consultant to Rootes; evidence of his influence is most readily seen in the 1956 Audax range of cars, which included the contemporary Hillman Minx , a model also produced under licence by Isuzu of Japan as the Isuzu Hillman Minx . Rootes introduced a novel supercharged diesel engine in 1954, based on
4860-416: The capital of its subsidiaries. The manufacturing subsidiaries were held through partly owned Humber Limited. Manufacture was carried out in three factories in Coventry with more at Luton, Cricklewood and Acton. There was a wholly owned assembly plant in Australia and similar facilities owned with associates in Argentina, Republic of Ireland and India. From Devonshire House in Piccadilly the original business,
4968-426: The case of the Peugeot cars, the Sceptre badging was applied to the bootlid and lower aft part of the front wing. Chrysler had spent much of the 1970s unsuccessfully trying to integrate its Rootes and Simca ranges into one, coherent whole. The traditionally engineered, rear-wheel-drive cars of the British division had limited appeal outside the UK, although the Avenger and Hunter—the first locally assembled car to reach
5076-409: The continent at the end of 1975, with the UK market Cortina version being launched in late September 1976. The integration of the Ford range across Europe was now virtually complete, with the different nameplates on the Taunus/Cortina being the only separator. Ford launched the Granada II range in September 1977. In 1976, all Granada production had been concentrated to Cologne, Germany. The Consul badge
5184-414: The country. As early as 1924 Rootes had become the largest truck and car distributor in the United Kingdom. They advertised that their showrooms in Devonshire House , Piccadilly could supply new cars priced from £145 to £3,000 manufactured by Rolls-Royce, Daimler, Sunbeam, Austin, Hillman, Fiat or Clyno. A particular effort was put into overseas sales and it became clear the export opportunities warranted
5292-426: The development of the Tiger prototype. A 289 cu in (4,736 cm ) model followed in 1967, but few were built as it was considered inappropriate for a Chrysler vehicle to be powered by Ford. Consideration was given to installing a Chrysler V8 in the Tiger, but their engines were larger and heavier than the Ford engines, and the rear-mounted distributor would have required an unaffordable chassis design, given
5400-411: The early 1970s, Ford took the decision to enter the growing European supermini market and began to develop a competitor for the well-received new Fiat 127 and Renault 5 . A site near Valencia , Spain , was chosen to build a new factory in order to accommodate production for the new car which was scheduled for a mid-1970s launch. A revised Capri II arrived in early 1974 which saw a hatchback replacing
5508-413: The end included badge-engineered models from the Commer range. During the 1960s, Sunbeam's Alpine convertible was moderately successful in the US market. Rootes considered that the Alpine's sales would be improved with a more powerful model. As a result, in 1964 they introduced the Tiger , a V8 derivative powered by a 260 cu in (4,261 cm ) Ford V8 engine. Carroll Shelby was involved in
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#17327942823605616-416: The engine assembly for the passenger vehicles. In addition, Ford's Halewood plant was converted for Jaguar X-Type assembly in 2001. Ford also continued to build vans at its Southampton plant until relocating production to Turkey in 2013. The Ford Mondeo was relaunched in an all-new MK2 version in late 2000 and was pipped for the European Car of the Year award by the Alfa Romeo 147 . The new Mondeo
5724-534: The executive car market in 1998 upon the demise of its Scorpio which had replaced the Granada four years earlier. As well as a Europe-wide transition from mainstream brands to prestige brands during the 1990s, the Scorpio's sales potential was held back by its controversial styling. In the late 1990s, Ford adopted a distinctive "New Edge" design on its model range. Some of the cars adopting this eye-catching new look were entirely new, while others were facelifted versions of earlier and more conservative designs. The end
5832-421: The export financing arm, was sold. With the outbreak of World War II , Rootes, like most other British car manufacturers, became involved with the production of armaments. In 1940, under the Government's shadow factory scheme, Rootes built its massive assembly plant in Ryton-on-Dunsmore , near Coventry , initially manufacturing aircraft, one of the first types being the Bristol Blenheim . Production included
5940-420: The face of more modern competition. Also, the production facilities were outmoded, industrial relations problems were persistent, and the products had a poor reputation for quality. In the face of massive losses, and the risk of high unemployment in the surrounding areas if the factories closed, the Ryton and Linwood factories were the subject of frequent government bail-outs. Despite the government assistance,
6048-415: The first car on the platform that would spawn the next generation Focus hatchback a year later. 2003 also saw a convertible version of the Ka launched as the StreetKa alongside a facelifted Mondeo. The second generation Focus hatchback, saloon and estate models went on sale in late 2004, picking up where the original model left off. Excellent ride and handling, good equipment levels, solid build quality and
6156-414: The flair of some rivals and it received mostly negative ratings for ride and handling, while it also retained the engine line-up of the previous generation with 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 petrol units and a 1.8 diesel. The standard Escort models were later joined by the RS2000, XR3i and RS Cosworth performance versions that attracted a much more positive reaction. The RS2000 nameplate had been abandoned back in 1980 and
6264-429: The former Commer/Dodge/Karrier truck and van factory was run in conjunction with the trucks division of Renault . After the withdrawal of the last Dodge-derived trucks (latterly badged as Renaults) it became an engine production plant for Renault Véhicules Industriels . The first Rootes model to be discontinued under Peugeot's ownership was the Hunter in 1979, and its production tooling subsequently went to Iran , where
6372-492: The larger luxury passenger vehicles, Snipes and variants, and luxury mid-size cars ending with the compact Sceptre . The intervening break in medium-sized Humbers was filled by the postwar Sunbeams. Commer and Karrier were the commercial vehicle brands. Commer manufactured a full range of vans, trucks, tractors and bus chassis, and some badge-engineered small vehicles from the Hillman range. Karrier represented mainly municipal and special-purpose trucks, vans and buses, though towards
6480-520: The launch of an all-new replacement in 2006. Ford entered the city car market in September 1996 with its oddly-named and oddly-styled Ka and was beaten into second place in the 1997 European Car of the Year award by the Renault Scenic . It made use of the Fiesta's chassis and 1300 cc petrol engine which gave it strong handling for such a small car. Going against the appeal were its cramped rear seats and tiny boot, but it managed to sell well for most of its 12-year production run. A month later in October,
6588-409: The launch of new imports in the early 1970s including the Fiat 127 and Renault 5 , which not only showed that front engined, front wheel drive hatchbacks would become the industry standard format in the entry level market segment, but spearheaded an influx of popular imports. In the late 1960s, Chrysler endeavoured to market the Rootes cars in the US. These efforts proved unsuccessful. Marketing in
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#17327942823606696-573: The launch of the Probe's replacement: the Cougar . Like its predecessor, the Cougar was built in the USA and used 2.0 and 2.5 petrol engines. Unlike its predecessor, it was based on the front-wheel-drive chassis of the Mondeo . It was very spacious for a coupé and offered superb road-holding and cruising ability. Sales were relatively low in Europe and it was dropped in Europe after 2000, with sales limited to its home market. In 1999, Ford's European headquarters relocated from Brentwood in England to its current (2019) location in Cologne , Germany . It
6804-426: The limited sales. In 1963, Rootes introduced the Hillman Imp , a compact rear-engined saloon with an innovative all- aluminium OHC engine, based on a Coventry Climax engine design (originally used for a fire pump). It was intended to be a response from Rootes to rival British Motor Corporation 's popular Mini , and a new factory (called the Linwood plant) on the boundary between Paisley and Elderslie, Renfrewshire
6912-469: The manufacturing subsidiaries they would have Humber buy. Overseas representation of British motor manufacturers was not limited to group members. Rootes Motors Limited was the new name assumed 16 November 1949 of holding company Rootes Securities Limited. Substantially the whole of 1917's initial capital had been provided by the two Rootes brothers. Thereafter the business's expansion was financed by retained profits supplemented where necessary, for example
7020-643: The marketing subsidiary, directed operations at five branches in Kent, their North Kensington service department and Birmingham and Manchester branches together with distribution companies overseas sometimes jointly owned. Barely twelve months after listing preference shares the Rootes brothers recognised the effect death duties would have on their holdings and their businesses and the two brothers offered one quarter of Rootes Motors' ordinary shares to current holders of Rootes preference shares. Further issues of preference shares and debenture stock followed in November 1954 and November 1959. Rootes Acceptances Limited,
7128-497: The new version was undoubtedly the best, with its 2.0 16-valve I4 engine and the option of four-wheel drive, as well as its impressive top speed of more than 130 mph (210 km/h). The RS Cosworth was a turbocharged version of the RS2000 and had a top speed of 150 mph (240 km/h) which helped bolster its fortunes in international rallies. In spite of this and impressive new models being launched by rival companies Vauxhall and Rover , Ford were still firmly positioned at
7236-418: The old Rootes model names, Minx and Rapier. The rights to the Rapier name remained with the successors of the company, and were eventually resurrected again on a few limited edition Peugeot models. There was also a special Sceptre edition of the 205, 405 and the 605 SRi models. This used a black plastic badge with the chrome effect Sceptre cursive script similar to that on the sideflashes of the '60s saloons. In
7344-437: The older model ranges were gradually phased out. One of the key justifications for keeping separate divisions was to circumvent the high trade tariffs imposed on vehicles being exported between Britain and the European Economic Community , however once the UK joined the bloc in 1973, it made sense to standardise the model ranges throughout Britain and Continental Europe. Crucially merging the two companies' operations and having
7452-409: The ordinary shares and 65 per cent of the non-voting shares and in January 1967 holdings were increased to about two-thirds of Rootes Motors capital. It was renamed Chrysler UK on 30 June 1970. It has been suggested that the demise of Rootes began with losses due to industrial relations problems at their BLSP plant in London, with knock-on problems down the supply chain. By the mid-1960s, Rootes
7560-425: The previously boxy edges to give it a more modern look and keep it competitive with a string of new European and Japanese superminis which hit the market during 1982 and 1983. The sporty XR2 version was relaunched and its power output was increased, as well as receiving the first five-speed gearbox ever fitted to a Fiesta. Also in that year, Ford introduced a new four-door saloon to meet the demands of buyers looking for
7668-408: The products they were selling. With the financial support of Prudential Assurance , the two brothers bought some well-known British motor manufacturers, including Hillman , Humber , Singer , Sunbeam , Talbot , Commer and Karrier . At its height in 1960, Rootes had manufacturing plants in the Midlands at Coventry and Birmingham , in southern England at Acton , Luton and Dunstable , and
7776-414: The public's reaction to the new Focus which was European Car of the Year for 1999 and being one of the best-selling cars on the continent. At the height of its production, there was a new Ford Focus coming off a production line at an average of one every 12 seconds (Saarlouis, Germany, Valencia, Spain, Wayne, Michigan, USA and Hermosillo, Mexico). However, the Focus was never built in Britain. 1998 also saw
7884-537: The purchase of Hillman, by loans from Prudential and the company's bankers principally Midland Bank . On 24 November 1949 shares in Rootes Motors Limited were issued to the public in exchange for £3,025,000. Rootes was now a public company and the new capital repaid the Prudential and Midland Bank loans. The listed shares however were preference shares. The equity capital remained in the hands of
7992-525: The range-topping Escort was now the XR3 which came with a fuel-injected 1600 cc unit. It was a huge sales success for the company throughout the 1980s, being Britain's best selling car from 1982 to 1989 and also topping the sales charts in several other countries. The 1980s saw a radical change in most of the European Fords which had begun in September 1980 when the Escort switched to front-wheel drive and
8100-434: The rest of western Europe were direct competitors, with totally separate product lines, despite being owned by the same American parent, in a similar manner to General Motors ' Opel and Vauxhall subsidiaries at the same time – indeed GM followed Ford's precedent in the 1970s by merging the operations of Opel and Vauxhall into General Motors Europe . The process took several years to complete, as new model ranges arrived and
8208-558: The rise in popularity of fast hatchbacks such as the Ford Escort XR3i, Vauxhall Astra GTE, Peugeot 309 GTI and Volkswagen Golf GTI. Ford had proved successful in this sector with faster versions of the Fiesta, Escort, and Sierra. The Sierra was facelifted in early 1987 and gained a saloon version for the first time, called the Sapphire, ensuring that it continued to sell well into the 1990s. The third generation Fiesta
8316-542: The same platform, but had different sheet metal and used engines from their home countries, though both models could be had with the new German-built 2000cc OHC petrol engine. By 1972, the Cortina was the best-selling car in Britain and would stay at the top spot until 1981, except for 1976 when the smaller Escort was Britain's top-selling car for that year. In March 1972, Ford Europe replaced their executive models from Britain ( Zephyr/Zodiac ) and Germany ( 17M/20M/26M ) with
8424-550: The second Lord Rootes and became the new chairman of Rootes Motors. On 1 May 1967 Lord Rootes appointed Gilbert Hunt , a Wolverhampton -born business executive, who at the time was managing director of Massey Ferguson in the UK, to be the new managing director of the Rootes Group. Hunt's appointment was made with the support of Chrysler , which was building its holding and control over the business during this period. In June 1964 Rootes Motors announced Chrysler would take
8532-614: The time. The Chrysler Alpine (sold in France as the Simca 1307/1308) was introduced in 1975, being produced at the former Rootes plant at Ryton as well as the former Simca plant at Poissy , near Paris . The Chrysler Sunbeam a three-door hatchback based on the Avenger floorpan, was introduced in 1977 as successor to the Hillman Imp. Also, Chrysler UK made a significant contribution to the design of Chrysler's European range. As well as
8640-433: The top of the British car sales charts in the early 1990s and enjoyed a strong market share in virtually all European countries, expanding into Eastern Europe at the beginning of the 1990s following the collapse of communism. They even enlisted the help of Brian May to record a new song, " Driven by You ", which featured in their new TV advertising campaign for the whole Ford range in the UK. Ford responded to criticism of
8748-479: The traditional "boot". This was the first time that Ford had produced a car with a hatchback, adopting this new concept which had first been patented by Renault in the mid-1960s. Ford launched the Escort II at the start of 1975 which was essentially a rebodied version of the 1968 car and was largely mechanical identical, despite the larger, squarer body. The entry-level 950 cc engine which was rare in any country,
8856-537: The weight of problems bearing on Chrysler Europe resulted in its collapse in 1977, leading to the company's 1978 takeover by PSA Peugeot-Citroen . PSA soon wielded the axe over the troubled Linwood factory in Scotland, and exhumed the Talbot marque from the pages of Rootes' history to re-badge the former Chrysler and Simca badged models. Whilst Ryton was saved, PSA took little interest in the heavy commercial vehicles and
8964-500: The world's first volume production car to feature anti-lock brakes as standard. High equipment levels, a comfortable interior and solid build quality ensured that the German-built Scorpio was a success all over Europe and was voted European Car of the Year for 1986. A saloon version had joined the range by early 1990, as had a 2.9 V6 Cosworth high-performance hatchback while an estate version arrived in early 1992 as it
9072-632: The world, notably in Australasia ( Rootes Australia ) and the Middle East . The best known example of the latter was the Iranian -built Paykan , based on the Hillman Hunter . In 1950 it acquired Tilling-Stevens , a truck and bus manufacturer based in Maidstone , Kent. Rootes successfully sold a range of cars priced at a slight premium to their major home market competitors, justified on
9180-576: Was Sierra's ultramodern aerodynamic styling that was way ahead of its time compared to the competition. Initial sales were disappointing, but demand soon increased and the Sierra was Britain's second best-selling car in 1983, its first full year on sale. It was built in Great Britain and Belgium and sold well in most other European countries. Cosworth versions of the Sierra were built from 1986, all of which were capable of 150 mph (240 km/h). The three-door Sierra hatchback, mostly sold with only
9288-581: Was a British automobile manufacturer and, separately, a major motor distributors and dealers business. From headquarters in the West End of London , the manufacturer was based in the Midlands and the distribution and dealers business in the south of England. In the decade beginning 1928 the Rootes brothers, William and Reginald, made prosperous by their very successful distribution and servicing business, were keen to enter manufacturing for closer control of
9396-446: Was a striking feature of the company's final decade. Chrysler was also keen to take control of the struggling firm as it wished to have its own wholly independent European subsidiaries like archrivals Ford and General Motors . Chrysler took over Simca of France and Barreiros of Spain at the same time, merging it with Rootes to create Chrysler Europe . In 1970, the Rootes name was replaced by Chrysler United Kingdom (correspondingly
9504-494: Was abandoned in 1975. In 1977, Ford finally overtook British Leyland as the market leader in the UK. The Mk III Capri coupé arrived in early 1978. By now Capri production was also concentrated at Cologne. In 1979, the Cortina/Taunus was given a very light facelift to create the "Cortina 80" (or Cortina Mk5). However, this was very much a short-term measure, as Ford was beginning to develop an all-new successor ready for
9612-402: Was also a Brazilian variant until 1980. By the early 1970s, Chrysler Europe was working on the development of two new family car ranges which would be produced at both its British and French plants, and sold under both the Chrysler and Simca marques on the relevant markets - similar to the integration of British and German model ranges which its rivals Ford and General Motors were carrying out at
9720-539: Was based on the Nissan Terrano II . However, the Maverick was not a strong seller and it was discontinued in early 1999. 1994 was the year where Ford regained leadership of the large family car sector market in Britain in terms of sales, as the Vauxhall Cavalier had been the best seller of this size for the previous four years. From 1996 to 2001, Ford also imported its Explorer SUV to Europe from
9828-616: Was best known for solid, dependable, well-engineered middle-market vehicles always of attractive appearance. Well-known Rootes models include the Hillman Minx , its successor the Hillman Hunter , the Humber Super Snipe and the Sunbeam Alpine . William Rootes built the Rootes Group using specific brands for each market niche. Following the death in 1964 of Lord Rootes , his son, William Geoffrey Rootes , became
9936-625: Was briefly exported to the United States and Canada between 1978 and 1980. From 1981, it was available with a 1600 cc unit for the sporty XR2 version. In Britain where it launched in February 1977 and most of the rest of Europe took to it straight away and it was quickly among the best-selling cars in most of the continent, fighting off competition from the Volkswagen Polo , Renault 5 , Fiat 127 , Vauxhall Chevette and Peugeot 104 . The new Taunus saloon and estate were launched on
10044-417: Was built for its assembly. The move to Linwood was forced upon the company by the British government, which had introduced the principle of industrial development certificates (IDCs) to build factories in depressed areas. The Linwood workforce had no experience in motor vehicle assembly and the build quality and reliability of the cars suffered. Another problem was that the component suppliers were still based in
10152-511: Was discontinued. In 1975, Ford overtook British Leyland (the combine which included Austin , Morris and Rover ) as the most popular make of car in the United Kingdom. 1976 saw Ford Europe enter the supermini market with its first ever front-wheel-drive model. The Fiesta I was built at the company's new Valencia plant in Spain (and would also be produced at Dagenham and Cologne) and came with 950 cc, 1100 cc and 1300 cc petrol engines. It
10260-483: Was disparaging of the Rootes operation, writing that Chrysler should never have bought it. Chrysler UK continued with a range of rear-wheel-drive family cars such as the Hillman Avenger (introduced in 1970) and Hillman Hunter (introduced in 1966), while the Imp — which by now had most of its teething problems ironed out — was largely ignored by the new management. The Imp's commercial chances were not helped by
10368-718: Was founded in 1967 by the merger of Ford of Britain , Ford Germany , and Irish Henry Ford & Son Ltd divisions of the Ford Motor Company. The front-engined Ford Transit range of panel vans launched in 1965, was the first formal co-operation between the two entities, simultaneously developed to replace the German Ford Taunus Transit and the British Ford Thames 400E . Prior to this, the two companies avoided marketing their vehicles in one another's domestic markets, and in much of
10476-414: Was from the adjacent Cologne factory that the 30 millionth Ford, a Fiesta , emerged from the production line on 19 November 1999. The aging MK4 Fiesta received a facelift in the Autumn of 1999 and continued to attract huge sales thanks to its excellent ride and handling that disguised its age well. The interior was, by now, one of the smartest in the supermini sector, though interior space, particularly in
10584-476: Was in sight for the Escort in October 1998 when its distinctively-styled successor, the Focus , went on sale. Its radical design meant that Ford kept the Escort on sale alongside it for two years, the van until 2002, giving buyers a more conventionally-styled alternative, perhaps in fear of a repeat of the controversy it had faced some 16 years earlier when the Sierra went on sale. But Ford need not have worried about
10692-417: Was incorporated in 1933 to hold the very profitable core business of the Rootes brothers: the motor distribution and servicing functions, and its extension and development of export markets. It had been the largest truck and car distributor in the United Kingdom in 1924 and generated the capital to buy manufacturer Hillman, merge Hillman with manufacturer Humber and give the Rootes brothers control of Humber and
10800-570: Was launched in March 1989 and the big news of the launch was the long-awaited availability of a five-door version, something that was already available on key rivals like the Austin Metro , Vauxhall Nova , Fiat Uno , SEAT Ibiza and the Peugeot 205 . New to the range were the new 1.0 and 1.1 HCS (High Compression Swirl) petrol engines which ran alongside the long-running 1.4 unit. There was also
10908-545: Was made in Britain and Germany (with a different range of German V4 and V6 engines) and was an instant success, frequently featuring as one of Britain's top 10 best-selling cars and also doing well in most other European markets. August 1970 saw the launch of the British Ford Cortina Mk III and its German cousin, the Taunus (replacing the Taunus 12M and 15M ). The British and German models were based on
11016-456: Was more competitively priced than its predecessor, but its real strengths were its excellent accommodation and driving experience which put it back on top of the large family car sector. Although demand for cars of this size dipped slightly across Europe during the 2000s, the Mondeo remained Britain's most popular large family car until 2007, when it was outsold by the facelifted Vauxhall Vectra . The Maverick returned in late 2000, this time being
11124-463: Was nearing replacement. An updated Escort and Orion appeared in March 1986, called the "Mark 4", it featured Scorpio-influenced front-end styling, revised engine options and an all-new interior. Production of the Capri coupé ended in December 1986 after 18 years and there was no replacement, although stocks of the model were sold into 1987, as sporting coupés were less popular at this time following
11232-605: Was often criticised in the motoring press. 1995 saw Ford launch its MK4 Fiesta and MK6 Escort ranges to keep them on the pace with the ever-growing number of new rivals that were threatening to decimate Ford's market share. Another new car launch that year was the Galaxy multi-purpose vehicle in June that was based upon the VW Sharan which quickly went straight to the top of the people carrier sales charts, remaining in production until
11340-440: Was progressively taken over by Chrysler of the United States, following huge losses amid the commercial failure of the troubled Imp. The company's financial year ran to 31 July, and in the year ended 31 July 1967 Rootes was able to report a pre-tax profit of just £3.8 million. It was the first reported profit since 1964 and compared with a pretax loss of £10.7 million in the year ending in 1966. Lack of funds for new model investment
11448-569: Was sold there from the outset. It was first available as a two-door saloon and later in estate, van and four-door saloon bodystyles. Power came from 950 CC, 1100 CC, and 1300 CC petrol engines. Later there was also a 2000 cc unit which came in the RS2000 performance version and was capable of 110 mph (180 km/h). It quickly became popular with buyers, outselling key UK competitors from BMC (later British Leyland), Vauxhall (Opel in Germany) and
11556-478: Was the French built Talbot Samba , based on the Peugeot 104 , and which went on sale in the UK in February 1982. By this stage, however, Peugeot was a year away from unveiling its highly acclaimed new 205 supermini, although it was originally planned that Peugeot would launch a Talbot badged supermini on the 205 platform as well as a Citroen some time around the mid-1980s. The Simca-based models (the Horizon, Alpine and Solara) continued to be built at Ryton, using
11664-526: Was the best-selling new car in the UK every year. Despite the launch of the MK4 in March 1986, it started to look a little dated by the end of the decade in the face of newer rivals like the Rover 200 , Peugeot 309 , Fiat Tipo and Renault 19 . The Mk5 Escort was launched in September 1990, along with the Orion saloon, but the motoring public and press gave it mixed to negative reviews. The car's styling lacked
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