Midnight -
I intentionally left Jags out of the discussion due to their price range, they weren't all that common.  Few people could afford them in those days.

Having owned all of the cars I mentioned, the TR-3 and -4 were the best of the lot in terms of reliability and longevity, except for the Sunbeam Alpine, which was the best of all of them, but not a very common car.

MGAs and Bs were more temperamental, and their engines weren't as powerful as the contemporary Triumph engines were.  My TR-3A even had a hand crank for starting the engine when the Lucas electrical starters failed, as they often did.

In addition, the transmissions weren't synchro in first gear, only the top 3 gears were synchronized.

Basically, the MGA, MGB, and TR-3 and -4 were, mechanically speaking, pre-WW II technology simply dressed up with newer bodies.  If you see the engines and drive trains of the MG TC, TD, and TF, cars of the 1940s and early 50s, they are virtually the same as the MGA and B.

I've owned a Mini deTomaso (only one "S" please") which was the Italian Job, applied to the Mini Cooper.



77bhp compared to 72 (dual carb like the old Minis, compared to the single carb version) a mere 770 Kg kerb weight and a hatchback meant I could actually move house in it - and I did, twice!

Jaguars were a gentleman's car, not only for the price and quality, but for the engineering behind the XK engines.
I know, I had a Series III Daimler Sovereign (1981 model) and she was a beauty, and the 6-inline sang like Pavarotti when revved beyond 3000 rpm!

As for MGs and Triumphs, it's the equivalent to the "Mustang Vs. Camaro Vs. Chargers" in the US  

Both MG and Triumph insisted on the old OHV layout.
True, MG TC, TD and TFs were rail chassis, but the MGS was a monococque body, albeit with the 1500cc engine off the MG TF.
It was later upgraded to 1600ccs.

The MGB was the watershed car, it sported a much improved monococque (lessons learned from racing the MGA Twin Cams at LeMans) and the OHV engine was hopped up to 1800ccs for 92-94 bhp (SAE net).

Only the MkI MGBs had the 3-synchro gearbox, the later cars all shared a much improved 4-synchro, overdrie optional.

Triumphs ware a different breed; whereas MGs shared the "Type A" Austin engine off family sedans, Triumph TRs had dedicated engines which produced buch better horsepower.

See MGB GT (such as my own) and the Triumph GT6 (2000cc straight 6)

Web I had a 4 dr Dodge Diesel. I felt exactly the same way and parking was a blast LOL. I bought it I believe in 2004. Diesel was about 35 cents cheaper than gas. I was going to buy a bigger boat, a 22ft CC.. Four months later later diesel shot up 30 cents higher than gas and I cancelled the boat. That's when the economy went to hell. That's why I don't play the stock market, I've never got my timing right.I drove the monster 2 years and traded it for a 06 4 dr Dodge Dakota RT. I absolutely love the Dakota. The RT has more HP and a better handling package like the RT cars. My truck was the Pace car at the 06 Martinsville Nascar Race. Dodge just built a few of them, I've never seen another one. I ended up buying a new nice 17' fishing boat, a Lund for you that are familiar with them. They're not popular here in the south but once you get above Washington DC Lunds are everywhere. They run them a lot on the Great Lakes. I cant tell its behind the Dakota. Last night my wife bought a 18 ft Travel Trailer. Havent picked it up yet but I don't think I'll have a bit of trouble pulling it. The Dakota is rated for 8000 lbs and the camper is one of the new light ones, 2700lbs. They keep building campers lighter and lighter so SUV's and Mini Vans can pull them. Well Web I bet Peci cant wait to call us a Redneck. We went from fine sports cars to pickups LOL.

My uncle speaks fondly of his old "Spitfire".
Lousy Brits.

A lot of the lean manufacturing techniques were adopted from Toyota during the 70's.
American Auto manufacturers wondered why Jap cars were outselling them and they only attempted to mimic their techniques when threatened with the first gas shortage.


--Steve