What is the most important brand of sports cars of England?

[RL17]

AML (car firm not F1) team are owned mainly by Stroll run consortium, PIF (Saudi state investment firm - pretty sure an Aramco connection to them), Geely (China - own Lotus and other car firms) plus Mercedes (sure own 10% or so and have engine supply plus infotainment supply contracts (as long as it’s not too new!). Some public shares but diluted to de-minimis.

Pre-Stroll it was mainly Italian and ME investment funds and before that Ford.

McLaren mainly controlled by Mumtalakat (Bahrain Sovereign Wealth Fund) and previously had Ron Dennis, TAG (French?) and other investors.

Jaguar owned by Indian conglomerate who also own Tetley tea (not sure if still do) plus mainly Indian car and truck firms. They were in Ford Luxury vehicles with AML and Volvo in the not too distant past.

AML cars still made in England and Wales (Sf Athan). Engines now AMG but previously mainly built in a corner of Ford Cologne plant (V12s last few now I think). Some 4 doors were made in Austria a while back initially.

Lotus in Norfolk.

MG is just a brand for Chinese cars with heavy subsidies.

TVR on hold - did see a new one a few years back at St Saturnin. Ownership changed a long while ago.

Think Jaguar are scaling back UK production for Jaguar at least - EVs are making that more tricky.

So McLaren are pretty much made in England.

On my view it’s jobs and factories that make the cars from England rather than ultimate ownership.

Were the McLaren Can-Am cars made in Rye in Sussex? (Elva) - seems a curious connection as Weslake (Gurney connections) were they too is a small seaside town. Jota are in Sussex in countryside in middle of nowhere too.

[peebee2]

Originally Posted by RL17

AML (car firm not F1) team are owned mainly by Stroll run consortium, PIF (Saudi state investment firm - pretty sure an Aramco connection to them), Geely (China - own Lotus and other car firms) plus Mercedes (sure own 10% or so and have engine supply plus infotainment supply contracts (as long as it’s not too new!). Some public shares but diluted to de-minimis.

Pre-Stroll it was mainly Italian and ME investment funds and before that Ford.

McLaren mainly controlled by Mumtalakat (Bahrain Sovereign Wealth Fund) and previously had Ron Dennis, TAG (French?) and other investors.

Jaguar owned by Indian conglomerate who also own Tetley tea (not sure if still do) plus mainly Indian car and truck firms. They were in Ford Luxury vehicles with AML and Volvo in the not too distant past.

AML cars still made in England and Wales (Sf Athan). Engines now AMG but previously mainly built in a corner of Ford Cologne plant (V12s last few now I think). Some 4 doors were made in Austria a while back initially.

Lotus in Norfolk.

MG is just a brand for Chinese cars with heavy subsidies.

TVR on hold - did see a new one a few years back at St Saturnin. Ownership changed a long while ago.

Think Jaguar are scaling back UK production for Jaguar at least - EVs are making that more tricky.

So McLaren are pretty much made in England.

On my view it’s jobs and factories that make the cars from England rather than ultimate ownership.

Were the McLaren Can-Am cars made in Rye in Sussex? (Elva) - seems a curious connection as Weslake (Gurney connections) were they too is a small seaside town. Jota are in Sussex in countryside in middle of nowhere too.

Not sure any of this actually really relates to the OP’s question.

[Truckosaurus]

Originally Posted by peebee2

Not sure any of this actually really relates to the OP’s question.

It somewhat does, as we need to define what we mean by 'English' and 'Sports Car'

My own poorly thought out opinions are:

McLaren are more supercar than sportscar. (But certainly the biggest 'brand name')

Astons and Bentley are more GT than sportscar.

Morgans are brand new classic cars. (Although I have done the factory tour and they use an interesting mix of new and old technology)

TVR, RIP.

Jaguar is saloon and GT cars.

Ginetta is pretty much all racing cars, although you can make them road legal easily enough in the UK.

Caterham are definitely sports cars, but too raw to be the most important.

MG are good value if you are after an electric car - but as with most Chinese made goods it is best not to think why that is - and the brand seems to have a small amount of goodwill remaining.

So, that leaves us with Lotus - F1 history, many sportscar over the years, the Elise was everything that a good sportscar should be, but that's gone out of production and the Emira is more GT/supercar.

Of course, the best example of a traditional 'British sportscar' has, for the last 30-odd years, been the MX5....

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by Truckosaurus

Of course, the best example of a traditional 'British sportscar' has, for the last 30-odd years, been the MX5....

So true.

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by RL17

PIF (Saudi state investment firm - pretty sure an Aramco connection to them)

Aramco is the state, dad ran there aviation side for years, it's all the kingdom's things in the end