"Englishness"!
I've owned four English cars, 3 MGs and an E Type. In my experience their reputation for failures is exaggerated. One of my MGs was a bad example, a '68 MGB roadster. But that was not all MG's fault. The new stricter emissions and safety requirements in the US for 1968 caused multiple problems, for both performance and reliability. But that affected many brands. I don't believe some '68 US models were joys to own either.
Many of the British car failures could be traced to their electronics, thus all the jokes* about Lucas, "Prince of Darkness". I will admit that a buddy in college had a Morris Minor convertible which was laid up in a repair shop waiting nearly two months for an electrical part replacement. But those who paid real money to have their Jag sedan motors replaced by a Ford or Chevy V8 just threw it away. They could have replaced only the electronics for far less, and would have then owned a fun, reliable car.
*Show me an Englishman who drinks warm beer and I'll show you a person with a Lucas refrigerator!
I've owned four English cars, 3 MGs and an E Type. In my experience their reputation for failures is exaggerated. One of my MGs was a bad example, a '68 MGB roadster. But that was not all MG's fault. The new stricter emissions and safety requirements in the US for 1968 caused multiple problems, for both performance and reliability. But that affected many brands. I don't believe some '68 US models were joys to own either.
Many of the British car failures could be traced to their electronics, thus all the jokes* about Lucas, "Prince of Darkness". I will admit that a buddy in college had a Morris Minor convertible which was laid up in a repair shop waiting nearly two months for an electrical part replacement. But those who paid real money to have their Jag sedan motors replaced by a Ford or Chevy V8 just threw it away. They could have replaced only the electronics for far less, and would have then owned a fun, reliable car.
*Show me an Englishman who drinks warm beer and I'll show you a person with a Lucas refrigerator!