British Leyland Cape Town

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hitlers revenge
Posts: 318
Joined: Tue 21 Oct 2014, 18:27
Location: Back in the 'Fell, Cape Town

Re: British Leyland Cape Town

Post by hitlers revenge » Thu 03 Nov 2016, 19:46

This article was inside my Ford club magazine today.

Cars, trucks and bus chassis assembled at Blackheath, Epping and Elsies River plants between 1970 and 1987.

Mini More
Mini basic
Mini clubman
Mini traveller
Mini van den Plas
Min elf
Mini Morris
MINI 1275 gt
Mini wolsey
11/55 Austin
11/55 van den Plas
11/55 MG
Apache
6/40 wolsey
Austin 1800
Triumph Dolomite
T 2000
T 2500
T 2500 PI
Spitfire
T 2000 S.W.
Rover 90
3500 V8 S D 1
Rover 3500
Jaguar 420 g
XJ 6 SWB
XJ 6 LWB
Daimler XJ6
Daimler XJ12
Marina R2.6
Marina 4 cylinder
Marina van
Marina pick up
Land Rover 88
All 109's
All army land rovers
110

Tractors
154 mini
254
Cockshutt

Trucks
Terrier
Boxer
Eland
Super eland
Land train
All T43 range
All T45 range
Bison
Marathon
Octopus

Bus chassis
Victory
Atlantean
Tiger

Other vehicles assembled by Leyland
Mack trucks
S C G gearboxes
Mitsu bishi trucks
Mazda truck
Daihatsu truck
Renault R9
Renault Red

Shock Diamond
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun 20 Oct 2019, 22:26

Re: British Leyland Cape Town

Post by Shock Diamond » Sun 20 Oct 2019, 23:30

Hi, Elsies River got a mention in Prince Harry & his wife's recent visit to Cape Town. Reminded me of the time I worked there, as a Production Buyer, from 1975 to 1977.
As I was based in the office at Elsies River I spent most of my time there rather than at Blackheath. I'd worked at British Leyland Truck & Bus Division so related to the HGVs we built, always affectionately remembering the Guy "Victory J Trambus", as low volume as it was. However we built large numbers of Land Rovers, amongst other things I bought paint, including "Dark Earth" for the army versions. We had large stocks of unfashionable paint, which to avoid obsolescence costs I asked Duco-Dulux to mix into an appropriate colour - which came out light blue, in which we painted LRs bought by S Africa Police. A serious Mini fan I a "Cooper" twin carb GTS (inone off special Rolls Royce shade metallic maroon), which I adored, tho got it shot up when touring with my girlfriend Rhodesia in December 1975 (attacked from Botswana side as we sailed through Chete Gorge on Lake Victoria, one killed). Living in Sea Point, sharing a house with 4 girls, and working in an industry I loved, I absolutely adored my two years in South Africa, Cape Town and Leyland South Africa.

(Memories - a tiny Diahatsu 4x4 imported from Japan for evalaution - what a lost opportunity. Australian Leyland P76, evalauted and dismissed, the imported assessment models rumoured to have been dumped at sea off Cape Town in line with the governments requirements to avoid crippling import duties (the strange boast was that the boot / trunk of a P76 could take a 45 gallon drum!). The peculiar straight six cylinder, 3 speed manual Marina pick up and van, with the Leyland Australia powertrain. The XJ6 which didn't have a/c, and had to have an aftermarket conversion. The Rover SD1 which had to take a tinted roof decal on the top of the tailgate rear screen, to dissipate the sun which beat onto the heads of rear passengers). Our secretary, the dleightful Mrs Jones, who in her late 50s drove a " proper car", her cherished Chrysler Valiant - compared to my grandmother, who drove a Morris Minor

shoedoos
Posts: 462
Joined: Fri 06 Nov 2009, 11:16

Re: British Leyland Cape Town

Post by shoedoos » Mon 21 Oct 2019, 01:04

love the memories Shock Diamond....keep them coming.....

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IndianaJones
Posts: 4866
Joined: Sun 23 Aug 2009, 17:39
Location: Citrusdal, RSA

Re: British Leyland Cape Town

Post by IndianaJones » Tue 22 Oct 2019, 19:53

Thanks for sharing Shock Diamond. Did you stay in the automotive industry after those years?
To which operator was the Guy "Victory J Trambusses sold, do you know?
Interesting about the Australian Leyland P76 evaluation, know why it was dismissed? The fuel crisis perhaps?

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