0:00 The rise and fall of the British Leyland car empire and the lessons of its collapse.
1:52 Morris Oxford
2:59 Austin 7
4:22 Morris Minor
5:28 Mini
8:37 Morris Marina
8:47 Austin Allegro
8:57 Range Rover
9:27 Triumph TR7
12:01 Metro

How did Britain’s biggest car empire go from national champion to bankruptcy? I trace the rise, collapse and uneasy rescue of British Leyland, from its roots at Longbridge and Cowley to the final closure of the Longbridge works.

I explore the cars that defined the story, including the Austin 7, Morris Minor, Mini, Range Rover, Triumph TR7 and Metro, while examining the mergers, factory disputes, underinvestment and rushed decisions that weakened the company.

This is also a story about industrial loyalty, government intervention and the limits of size. I look at what happened when a beloved British manufacturer could no longer compete with its own problems—or with Ford, Vauxhall and Japan.