The Foreign Legions

When it comes to car marque ownership, perception is often different from reality. Back in the days when Vauxhall still made passenger cars in the UK in very healthy numbers, it was widely seen as a British brand; and even under its most recent Stellantis ownership, it’s been marketed as such, despite the fact that Ellesmere Port has built its very last Astra and will shortly produce only electric vans. The reality, however, is that Vauxhall hasn’t been ‘British’ since 1925, when it was acquired by America’s General Motors for $2.5 million.

This raises various dilemmas, of course, when it comes to deciding what exactly is a British car. Is it simply one that’s built in the UK irrespective of its badge, or is it a car that’s produced overseas but wears a badge that’s seen as inherently British? If we assume the former, then a Sunderland-built Nissan Qashqai is ‘more’ British than a new Land Rover Defender built in Slovakia.

Overseas ownership of domestic car manufacturers isn’t exactly a new phenomenon, and it’s something that affects companies the world over. So, let’s take a look at some of the best examples of foreign ownership succeeding… as well as the odd failure.