Ireland, Cyprus, Australia, India, and a surprising number of other countries apparently also drive on the left - http://www.i18nguy.com/driver-side.html#countrytable. Mostly ex-British Empire, but also Indonesia, Thailand and a few others.gaijin said:You do realise that japan is also an island nation where people drive on the left side of the road????
British Cars Rule!
- Thread starter Mr.Bluenote
- Start date
Flocculencio
Donor
Driving on the left?
India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Australia, NZ...
Edit: Duncan, sorry, didn't see your post
Alayata: In any case, they could simply make export models with right-hand drives, the way Peugot, Mercedes, Ford and Renault make left-hand side drive models for sale in the aforementioned countries. In fact, Jaguar and other such companies with interests in the luxury car market make right-hand drive models for use in the States.
Wozza said:
India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Australia, NZ...
Edit: Duncan, sorry, didn't see your post
Alayata: In any case, they could simply make export models with right-hand drives, the way Peugot, Mercedes, Ford and Renault make left-hand side drive models for sale in the aforementioned countries. In fact, Jaguar and other such companies with interests in the luxury car market make right-hand drive models for use in the States.
No way. You need to start in 1918. The US refuses loans, the UK abandons returning to the gold standard, and Britain has cost advantages in manufacturing. Finding Burgan in 1905 wouldn't hurt, for cheap oil to bolster the British ship building industry (tankers) as well as the British automobile industry. Also, the coal owners and the coal miners have to take income cuts because of cheap oil instead of just the coal miners taking income cuts.
An entirely different path is for the British as a military measure refusing to allow gasoline cars in favor of electric cars and diesel trucks. Economies of scale grant the British the electric car market and in the seventies they take over urban car sales all over the world.
An entirely different path is for the British as a military measure refusing to allow gasoline cars in favor of electric cars and diesel trucks. Economies of scale grant the British the electric car market and in the seventies they take over urban car sales all over the world.
chronos
Banned
Unhappily this requires a total revolution in the British car industry, given its origins in WW1. We produced some brilliant sports carssuch as Jaguar and MG., but the mass industry was found wanting.
You would have to go back pre-WW1, the Red Flag Act is repealed early, commercial steam wagons start much earlier and a road industry is established.
Then you need some engineering genius, the equivalent of Ford or Daimler to start volume car production before WW1.
By 1945 you have three large companies plus the Independents (the sports car makers) like evrybody else, instead of the six plus producers. Then someone produces the equivalent of the VW. We'll say Tucker flees the US. before he gets prosecuted and signs up to a dealwith the British government and his designs get produced over here (I could do with those swivelling headlights).
Something that looks like the truimph, wings and all, gets produced and sweeps the world.
Since British cars are smaller than US. with smaller engines, they are what many countries in the world want.
You would have to go back pre-WW1, the Red Flag Act is repealed early, commercial steam wagons start much earlier and a road industry is established.
Then you need some engineering genius, the equivalent of Ford or Daimler to start volume car production before WW1.
By 1945 you have three large companies plus the Independents (the sports car makers) like evrybody else, instead of the six plus producers. Then someone produces the equivalent of the VW. We'll say Tucker flees the US. before he gets prosecuted and signs up to a dealwith the British government and his designs get produced over here (I could do with those swivelling headlights).
Something that looks like the truimph, wings and all, gets produced and sweeps the world.
Since British cars are smaller than US. with smaller engines, they are what many countries in the world want.
Redbeard
Banned
As both Germany and Japan could build flourishing car industries since 1945, I'd say that 1945 is the perfect limit for a PoD.
As others also have said the British car industry actually had a very good position in at least two decades after 1945. And although we can't blame union trouble for everything I still think we can provide the main and catalysing PoD with advancing Arthur Scargill by two or three decades.
Let the late 1940's be extremely unruly times in UK and with a carismatic union leader like Arthur Scargill eventually taking it all a bit too far, and thereby inadvertedly creating the political foundation and legitimation for comprehensive political and economical reform. From that goes that we also advance Maggie and Tony a couple of decades.
So by 1965 British economy and job market is basically very flexible and ready to utilise the creative times of the following decade instead of bogging further down into old bad habits. The union PoD starts it all but the important change is really what follows afterwards. Maggie 50's is the demolition woman and Tony 60's the construction engineer, but two-three decades ahead they might even save Britain a good part of empire. But anyway I'd be satisfied with an Austin Maxi model 2005
(my first car was a 1972 Austin Maxi - in 1983)
Regards
Steffen Redbeard
As others also have said the British car industry actually had a very good position in at least two decades after 1945. And although we can't blame union trouble for everything I still think we can provide the main and catalysing PoD with advancing Arthur Scargill by two or three decades.
Let the late 1940's be extremely unruly times in UK and with a carismatic union leader like Arthur Scargill eventually taking it all a bit too far, and thereby inadvertedly creating the political foundation and legitimation for comprehensive political and economical reform. From that goes that we also advance Maggie and Tony a couple of decades.
So by 1965 British economy and job market is basically very flexible and ready to utilise the creative times of the following decade instead of bogging further down into old bad habits. The union PoD starts it all but the important change is really what follows afterwards. Maggie 50's is the demolition woman and Tony 60's the construction engineer, but two-three decades ahead they might even save Britain a good part of empire. But anyway I'd be satisfied with an Austin Maxi model 2005
(my first car was a 1972 Austin Maxi - in 1983)
Regards
Steffen Redbeard
chronos
Banned
Unfortunately THIS WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE in Post-1945 Britain, since public opinion fervently desired a new, fairer society with a Welfare State, hence the Post-War Concensus and Butskillism. It would also ensure Aneurin Bevin would become leader of the Labour Party.
The problem was management and not the unions. The whole tradition from Morris and the Rootes brothers as car mechanics and too many units - six major firms, when everybody else had three. The labour Government did try to make the british motor industry the heart of its export drive over everything to turn around the economy, but it failed on management.
The only solutiojn would have been the french one of nationalisation then amalgamations and vigorous sales methods.
The problem was management and not the unions. The whole tradition from Morris and the Rootes brothers as car mechanics and too many units - six major firms, when everybody else had three. The labour Government did try to make the british motor industry the heart of its export drive over everything to turn around the economy, but it failed on management.
The only solutiojn would have been the french one of nationalisation then amalgamations and vigorous sales methods.