The unions get a bad press in this, but the fault lay at least as much - in fact, more - with greedy, petty incompetent, dishonest management. The squabbling, lack of vision and obsession with siphoning off the money into their pension funds is what killed MBC/BL/AR. The unions were right. The management were the villains. Of course, the press, under Thatcher's control, fed us a different and cynically false, picture, but history has now revealed the true facts.

If the management had run a competent and honest company with a decent labour relations and investment strategy, then the unions would have had nothing to complain about. No workers want to go on strike, but when their jobs, security and prospects are under continual erosion and attack, then what else can they do? Thatcher and her cronies deliberately appointed junkyard-dog managers into the organization whose job was solely to whip up discontent in an attempt to break the unions. It was never about making cars. It was only ever a political power play on part of a corrupt cabinet.

Greetings from the USA. I just turned 50,000 miles on my 2004 S-4 Cabriolet 6 speed manual trans., which i purchased new for $ 65,000 US. I never had any problems and plan to keep it another 14 years. I couldn't trade it in for a Toyota Corolla, which I wouldn't be caught dead driving anyway. Great car, It still never fails to thrill on the sunny days when it's driven.

We brought a rover 45 2005 model 1.6 Club SE with 99000 miles on the clock not loved and not cared for for £600, she would have been scrapped if we never bought her. The lovely Royal Blue colour.

I spent £300 making her good, three years later and three MOTS she has never failed and only 2500 cars from the end of production, she a late new shape model. its the best second hand car our family has ever bought and NO rust at 13 years old. I love it.

I really like the MPG its a petrol and for £45 pound she will do 375 miles to a tank for none diesel and pretty quick on a sixteen hundred engine. THESE ROVER 45 are WELL under estimated. truly and yes much better than VW, FORD, VAUXHALL etc they just have bigger budget to brag and promote and thats the only difference, Rover made great cars but could not brag about it.

THE ROVER 45 ARTICLE HERE IS SPOT ON A CLASSIC AND NASA CONFIRMED IT