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IanMetro



Member Since: 11 Sep 2017
Location: Somerset BS21
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United Kingdom 2014 Freelander 2 SD4 Metropolis LE Auto Fuji White
Some of British Leyland's Best Cars

This set of photos include the original (Very Basic) Range Rover.
It also reminds me of how many other fantastic ideas they had, but failed to invest enough to carry forward.
It includes a picture of my favourite (that I have owned) the Triumph Dolomite Sprint, a 2ltr 16v fast, luxurious, saloon that more than rivalled the BMW 2002.

https://www.autocar.co.uk/slideshow/yes-br...great-cars FL2 XS SD4 Auto 2010 2012-2017 (21k - 91k miles) (MY2011)
FL2 Metropolis SD4 Auto 2014 2017- (16k - 74k+ miles) (MY2015)

Post #400009 16th Nov 2020 7:12 pm
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GundogSD4



Member Since: 04 Dec 2019
Location: Wiltshire
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England 2015 Freelander 2 SD4 Metropolis LE Auto Santorini Black

I had a 1300 GT in white when I was seventeen, the rose tinted glasses may have sharpened my nostalgic view of it but in reality it was a horrible unreliable pile of Censored . Rolling with laughter

Post #400014 16th Nov 2020 7:35 pm
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IanMetro



Member Since: 11 Sep 2017
Location: Somerset BS21
Posts: 2747

United Kingdom 2014 Freelander 2 SD4 Metropolis LE Auto Fuji White

Gundog - Just for your memories - sorry it's in French.

Some of the points to note
High Tech after market Wireless Aerial
Go Faster Conical Wing Mirrors
Car Park Ramp Detecting Exhaust
Air Conditioning via Quarter-Light

But Beautiful Instrumentation





and I was always intrigued by this advert that got 5 Guardsmen into a Morris 1100.


 FL2 XS SD4 Auto 2010 2012-2017 (21k - 91k miles) (MY2011)
FL2 Metropolis SD4 Auto 2014 2017- (16k - 74k+ miles) (MY2015)

Post #400019 16th Nov 2020 8:04 pm
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MartynB



Member Since: 08 Aug 2011
Location: Currently Rootless !
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United Kingdom 2009 Freelander 2 TD4 GS Auto Zermatt Silver
Re: Some of British Leyland's Best Cars

IanMetro wrote:
This set of photos include the original (Very Basic) Range Rover.
It also reminds me of how many other fantastic ideas they had, but failed to invest enough to carry forward.
It includes a picture of my favourite (that I have owned) the Triumph Dolomite Sprint, a 2ltr 16v fast, luxurious, saloon that more than rivalled the BMW 2002.

https://www.autocar.co.uk/slideshow/yes-br...great-cars


The Dolomites Sprint , as favoured by Bodie and Doyle in the first series of The Professionals. Then in the early days of product placement Ford got in the act and out went the Triumph and in came the Capri 3000GT . 2009 GS Auto Zermatt Silver - Sold June 21 after 10 years of ownership

2016 Subaru Outback SE 2.0 diesel SE Premium Lineartronic Sold 2024 after 8 years and 80k miles . Best Car I ever owned !

2023 Toyota Hilux invincible X 2.8 Auto .

Post #400025 17th Nov 2020 4:27 am
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GundogSD4



Member Since: 04 Dec 2019
Location: Wiltshire
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England 2015 Freelander 2 SD4 Metropolis LE Auto Santorini Black

After that they used an RS2000 MK2 Thumbs Up

Post #400026 17th Nov 2020 6:34 am
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Worms



Member Since: 31 Oct 2017
Location: Highlands
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Scotland 2010 Freelander 2 TD4_e GS Manual Zermatt Silver

Interesting list. The Dolomite Sprint was certainly a fun car, but I would put the Austin Maxi (in 1750 TC version) on the list, too. It was ground-breaking for being a spacious five-door hatchback and for having a five-speed box (not that the box itself was of the best!). A powerful, fast, load-carrier that could fold flat in either direction for load-space or sleeping. Sure, it suffered from a number of the BL problems of the day, such as build quality and hydragas suspension - but they manage to list the Stag, which was way worse in terms of reliability! 2005 D3 2.7 Auto
Previously:
2010 MY FL2 TD4e GS - Now gone at 199,500 miles, about 135,000 of them mine.
‘93 Defender 110 200TDi CSW
‘87 Defender 90 4 cyl Petrol
‘83 110 CSW V8 - best ever!
Range Rover 2-door V8 (not sure of year - 4-speed box and vacuum diff switch)
Series III SWB Diesel

Post #400028 17th Nov 2020 7:56 am
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Sidthecat



Member Since: 10 Sep 2017
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England 2013 Freelander 2 SD4 HSE Auto Orkney Grey

I had a Maxi, many years ago, wasn't that bad a car. Previously owned an Allegro, seemed to drink more oil than petrol Very Happy Prior to that a Dolomite - must have made me BLs favourite customer

Post #400035 17th Nov 2020 11:06 am
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IanMetro



Member Since: 11 Sep 2017
Location: Somerset BS21
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United Kingdom 2014 Freelander 2 SD4 Metropolis LE Auto Fuji White

My wife had an Allegro, we found it quite a reliable (for the day) and comfy car. The only trouble was that it's suspension used to leak a bit and sag, either to port or starboard accordingly. This could play havoc with the constant velocity joints on the front wheels.
the suspension problem seemed to be an accepted fault at the time and all the garage would do is put a bit more air in to bring it level. FL2 XS SD4 Auto 2010 2012-2017 (21k - 91k miles) (MY2011)
FL2 Metropolis SD4 Auto 2014 2017- (16k - 74k+ miles) (MY2015)

Post #400036 17th Nov 2020 11:19 am
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dorsetfreelander



Member Since: 20 Jul 2013
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United Kingdom 2014 Freelander 2 SD4 XS Auto Loire Blue

Morris Marina 1.8. Before this I knew very little about car mechanics, within a couple of years I was an expert mechanic as I found that I was doing jobs on it most weekends. 3 x FL1 2 manual + 1 auto
5 x FL2 4 manual + 1 auto
Now Discovery Sport P250 MHEV SE

Post #400042 17th Nov 2020 1:17 pm
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Dartman the one



Member Since: 04 Apr 2013
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England 

Very few of those cars were BL, the XJ 6 was a Jaguar and destroyed under BL, the 1100/1300 range was BMC and very successful but again destroyed under BL, Lord Stokes didn't like small cars especially small cheap economical cars and was turning BL into medium large luxury car company, the Stag, Dolomite Jaguar and the Rover side bringing out the Range Rover, not a make just another Rover product. With a Labour government owned company and the Unions given free run of the employment in the Midlands and no cash it was destined for disaster with the help of the 70's oil crisis, its main modern models were gas guzzlers and the economical ones were dated and by that time unreliable badly built and loss makers long before the paint dried.
The Allegro a desperate attempt to catch up, the Marina another desperate attempt to chase the Escort that handled worse than a drunken trolley bus, all in all a clever bunch of engineers frustrated by bad management poorly advised workers by idealistic unions with no forethought and last of all no cash to develope the ideas or reducing the idea to fit for the bin due to no development but put into production. my PC is slightly to the right of Genghis
2012 HSE SD4 In Orkney Grey now gone, best car ever.

Post #400043 17th Nov 2020 1:40 pm
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GundogSD4



Member Since: 04 Dec 2019
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England 2015 Freelander 2 SD4 Metropolis LE Auto Santorini Black

Never let a bean counter do an Engineers job... No different today Whistle

Post #400050 17th Nov 2020 2:17 pm
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3landertwo



Member Since: 27 May 2020
Location: UK
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The Best British Leyland car ever was ......... the one they didn't make !!!!

Post #400051 17th Nov 2020 2:47 pm
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IanMetro



Member Since: 11 Sep 2017
Location: Somerset BS21
Posts: 2747

United Kingdom 2014 Freelander 2 SD4 Metropolis LE Auto Fuji White

Ignoring the politics - it was images like this that helped me decide I liked the Dolomite and all that went with the style.



PS I'll leave you to find the rather revealing Advert in French

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Dolomite...p;biw=1366 FL2 XS SD4 Auto 2010 2012-2017 (21k - 91k miles) (MY2011)
FL2 Metropolis SD4 Auto 2014 2017- (16k - 74k+ miles) (MY2015)

Post #400052 17th Nov 2020 3:02 pm
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Andy131



Member Since: 09 Dec 2009
Location: Manchester
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United Kingdom 

GundogSD4 wrote:
Never let a bean counter do an Engineers job... No different today Whistle


While I agree with the sentiment can you imagine what happens when engineers run riot with the costs!
They will always try and deliver Rolls Royce quality, cutting edge technology, and the ability to remove the engine using one spanner in 10 minutes.
It would cost millions, be as ugly as sin and never sell, and bankrupt the company - been there seen it. Tangiers Orange - gone, missing her
Replaced by Ewok what a mistake - now a happy Disco Sport owner

Post #400114 19th Nov 2020 10:02 am
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Dartman the one



Member Since: 04 Apr 2013
Location: Seville, Spain
Posts: 1650

England 

The best example of an engineers car was the Rover P6 and the didn't do too bad. my PC is slightly to the right of Genghis
2012 HSE SD4 In Orkney Grey now gone, best car ever.

Post #400127 19th Nov 2020 1:26 pm
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