Ford acquired Jaguar in 1989, BMW snapped up Rover (formerly British Leyland) in 1994, and Volkswagen is now close to buying Rolls-Royce.

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It seems likely that most New Yorkers have never seen a Rolls-Royce up close.

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He can count on lots of support among the steel foundries and blighted minority communities in the state's north-west, which is close to Chicago and has sizeable union rolls.

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But it has been highly controversial - initial attempts to close some English-medium schools with falling rolls has met with huge opposition.

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