Once upon a time, Britain ruled not just the seas but the roads. The UK was the world’s second-largest car manufacturer in the 1950s and 60s, exporting to over 100 countries. Legendary marques like Jaguar, Austin, Morris, Triumph, Rover, and MG were household names, and not just in households with leaky garages and a wrench collection.
At one point, British cars made up 25% of all global exports. That’s right, every fourth car on the planet had a little Union Jack in its soul… and maybe an oil leak in its driveway. But somewhere between the invention of the Mini and the rise of the Prius, things fell apart.
The 1970s to 90s were a tragicomic era of frequent union strikes, shambolic leadership, designs that looked like angry toasters and the kind of reliability that made Italian cars look trustworthy. British Leyland was the poster child of dysfunction, an automotive mashup of once proud brands that somehow produced cars even their own workers refused to buy. Meanwhile, Japan was creating compact marvels and Germany was engineering precision in disguise.
The Grand Garage Sale. Who Owns What Now ?
Cue the international investors, swooping in like bargain hunters at a boot sale. Here’s what became of Britain’s greatest hits.
Jaguar & Land Rover
Now owned by Tata Motors, India (since 2008), Jaguar Land Rover is a symbol of how the tides of history can turn. From the days of colonial railways laid across Indian soil by the British Empire, to the present, where one of Britain’s most iconic automotive brands is steered by an Indian conglomerate. It’s a poetic twist. India, once the jewel in the crown of the Empire, now holds the reins to the makers of Range Rovers and Jaguars. Is it fair to say, this time that India got the better end of the trade ?
Mini & Rolls-Royce
Now owned by BMW. The British motoring industry, once the pride of the Empire, hit a few too many speed bumps: strikes, underinvestment, and a stubborn refusal to modernize. By the ’80s and ’90s, it was less “Keep Calm and Carry On” and more “Sell Off and Hope for the Best.” Enter BMW, with deep pockets, Teutonic precision, and a vision. They scooped up Mini and Rolls-Royce, polished the badges, tuned the engines, and made British motoring stylish (and reliable) again. The Germans didn’t just take over, they upgraded the afternoon tea to espresso with torque.
Bentley
Now owned by the Volkswagen Group. Once the pride of Cricklewood, Bentley was all British bravado, luxury with a cigar and a stiff upper lip. But by the late 20th century, it was running on nostalgia and questionable electrics. Financial woes and outdated tech left it stalling behind rivals. Enter VW in 1998, with German engineering, bottomless budgets, and a plan to revive the British icon. Production stayed in Crewe, but now it’s posh on the outside and Autobahn underneath, like a gentleman in a tailored suit hiding a V8 heart and a Nurburgring addiction.
Lotus
Lotus, born in Norfolk and bred on racetracks, was once the darling of lightweight performance and clever engineering, Colin Chapman’s “simplify, then add lightness” philosophy turned heads and won trophies. But the business side wobbled like a corner taken too fast. In the 90’s, Malaysian carmaker Proton took the wheel, hoping to inject new life (and cash), but struggled to steer the brand beyond niche appeal. After years of false starts and stalled dreams, Proton passed the keys to China’s Geely in 2017, who, with deep pockets and global ambition, might finally give Lotus the traction it long deserved.
MG
MG (Morris Garages) was once a symbol of British motoring spirit: nimble roadsters, windswept hair, and weekend drives through the countryside. Born in the 1920s, it thrived through decades of charming sports cars, but by the late 20th century, charm wasn’t enough. Years of mismanagement, poor build quality, and being shuffled through troubled ownerships left MG sputtering. By 2005, the marque collapsed along with MG Rover. Then came SAIC, China’s state owned automotive giant, who bought the brand, moved design and engineering to a UK outpost, and manufacturing to China. Today’s MGs wear the badge, but they’re more budget commuter than B-Road hero.
Aston Martin
A brand long synonymous with James Bond cool and British craftsmanship, has had more lives (and owners) than 007 himself. Born in 1913, it’s built icons with elegance and speed, but financial troubles have been a constant visitor. Today, it’s publicly traded, but with key stakes held by Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, it’s more global than the UN. Still shaken, not stirred, but now with board meetings that span continents. It’s still kind of British… if you don’t look too closely at the ownership papers.
Still, the British do leave a few tyre marks on the global automotive map. A handful of plucky survivors are still flying the Union Jack, well, sort of. McLaren, for instance, is still engineering space age supercars in Woking, though most of the money comes from abroad. Morgan is charmingly stuck in the past, crafting wooden framed wonders for nostalgic gentlemen with elbow patches. And not forgetting a few more, some unknown but still build some menacing track machines.
McLaren
Here is a car company that proves the British can do speed, style, and science without bits falling off. Founded by New Zealander Bruce McLaren who moved to the UK in 1958 began life tearing up F1 tracks in the ’60s. In 1963 he started the Bruce McLaren Motor racing Ltd. Fast forward, McLaren is still parked proudly in Woking, where they build cars that look like they were smuggled out of a sci-fi lab. Unlike many of its cousins, McLaren has resisted foreign takeovers and stuck to its roots, British-built, British-owned, and unapologetically obsessed with carbon fibre and lap times. Rule Britannia… at 200 mph.
Morgan Motor Company
The Morgan Motor Company is living proof that some things never go out of style, like tweed jackets, afternoon tea, and building cars with wooden frames. Founded in 1909 by H.F.S. Morgan, this delightfully eccentric company has been crafting cars in Malvern for over a century, and no one’s been able to convince them otherwise.
Yes, they’re now owned by Invest Industrial of Italy, but don’t worry, the factory’s still in Malvern, the staff still say “cheers,” and the cars still look like they time travelled from 1936 (with a bit more horsepower and slightly fewer oil leaks). It’s heritage with a gearbox and a grin.
Caterham Cars
A brand that proves you don’t need a roof or a heavy chassis to have a blast. Born from the legendary Lotus Seven in 1973, it’s been making go karts for grownups ever since, offering thrills with a side of windburn.
Yes, despite being owned by VT Holdings of Japan, Caterham has stubbornly remained in the UK, building lightweight rockets in the same way they’ve always done, by keeping things simple and a little mad. And let’s be clear, they might have a Japanese parent, but the spanners are still British. It’s like a sushi roll served with a full-English breakfast, unexpected, but it works.
BAC (Briggs Automotive Company)
Track-day fever meets expensive taste in the most insane way possible. The Briggs Automotive Company, founded by brothers Neill and Ian Briggs in Liverpool, didn’t just make a supercar, they made the kind of car you would buy if your idea of a good time involved F1 level insanity and a need for speed that makes the average Ferrari look like a golf cart.
Their creation, the Mono, is a single seater rocket that looks like it was stolen from a sci-fi film set and sounds like a chainsaw going through a symphony. Still proudly British built and British run (for now), BAC continues to deliver the kind of thrill you can’t get from your average supercar.
Why Did Britain Sell the Whole Lot?
Let’s call it the perfect storm of chronic underinvestment, comedic levels of mismanagement, a refusal to modernize and global competition that simply outclassed them.
British manufacturers became specialists in heritage… and bankruptcy. The kind of companies that made cars synonymous with style, speed, and luxury suddenly found themselves unable to keep up. Foreign investors, however, saw potential where local leaders saw nostalgia. They revived these brands, injected some much-needed cash, modernized them, and, shockingly, turned them profitable.
God bless British motoring. Gone global, but not forgotten. Now… where did we put that cup of tea
