>>They're called the French now. Sit outside any French cafe and a marching strike (striking march?) will come along soon. Thatcher put paid to UK propensity to strike.
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>>BTW we do still have a car industry - it's just that we build 'em for Ford, Toyota, Renault, Peugot, Vauxhall (GM cf. Opel), et al.
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>Well Vauxhall was GM for last 35+ years, if I remember correctly, and there was always a British Ford (though I can't be sure what brand was it). BTW, Ford seems to be recycling names - they once had Ford Taunus, which was made in Germany and named after a mountain there. Here, I see Ford Taurus... seems they lost a bit of a stroke there, probably a blurry fax is to blame.

Even these names are recycled: Time was a German Taunus looked like a cross between the UK-build "Cortina" and "Corsair", which were originally "offspring" of the "Consul". Later the Cortina and Taunus were indistinguishable and Ford brought out a new Consul, the better spec of which was the "Granada". Escorts and Prefects have been re-emerging since the 50's.

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>Who owns Jaguar and Rolls Royce nowadays?

I think Ford own Jaguar and maybe BMW own Rolls Royce (and, I think, Land Rover) Even back in the 50's Citroen's "Big 15 Traction Avants" (I understand the world's 1st front-wheel drives) were also being built in Slough in England, with the RH drive. Many of these were exported to "the Empire", e.g. S. Africa where, apparently, many are left, un-rusted.

We've been building other people's cars here so long they've been "adopted" as our own.