Why does Germany still have a thriving car industry when Britain does not?

I think that if you compare the ownership of British and German car
manufacturers from about 1960 to the present date, and you'll get a
clue.

In the UK, in the 1960's, the rump of the UK industry got merged into
British Leyland, and their idea of innovation was to sell the same car
under a number of badges.

That lead to Nationalization, then a very dodgy privatization,
followed by the sale to BMW who cut out the good bits and sold the
rest to a bunch of villains.

Other peripheral manufacturers were sold to overseas companies.
Curiously Rootes sold their light weight aluminium engine technology
to the Japanese (Hillman Imp) and their boss pontificated about how
the UK would sell technological know how.

Industrial relations did not help.

Germany makes a very classy and luxurious vehichle.  They are very
popuilar and many people prefer to drive them as they have an
excellent reputation.  They have been making machines since the war,
and those were very successfull, so i beleive that that has something
to do with it as well.  Germany has the reputation and history t  abck
up their "thriving industry"

The difference is probably due to educational emphasis.

Engineering has always been considered a worthy profession in Germany
whereas, in the UK, the Arts were traditionally the thing and mere
engineers were typically looked down upon by the Powers-that-be.

Germany has traditionally been at the forefront of technology: witness
the first telephone (Yes before Alex Bell); Radar; the VW Beetle;
Rockets; etc., etc.

Now, of course, they have put the Audi-VW technology into the Skoda
and are transforming its hitherto joke image. Just count the number of
Skoda taxis in the UK.

@Probo - You are spot on about engineers.

http://www.abc.se/~m9805/eastcars/showbrand.php?brand=skoda&lang=en
|The Skoda car manufacturing was bought by Volkswagen 1991.|

Which rather explains a few things.