MG, Riley and Wolseley, as well as Land Rover and Mini, the only Rover group brands that by then were really worth anything.

ECONOMIST: Walking away from Longbridge

BMW, which also got rid of Britain's struggling Rover Group.

ECONOMIST: A growing world

BMW's ill-fated takeover of Britain's Rover Group.

ECONOMIST: If Daimler ditches Chrysler, whither Detroit?

Downing Street has told German car manufacturer BMW of Prime Minister Tony Blair's anger at how he was kept in the dark over the break-up of the Rover car group.

BBC: Blair fury over BMW

Corus, part of the Tata Group which also owns Jaguar and Land Rover, has 42, 000 workers around the world and says it will try to achieve the 3, 500 cuts through voluntary redundancies.

CNN: Tens of thousands lose jobs as recession bites

If it fails with Rover, it may still have to merge with a big group, such as Volkswagen or Fiat.

ECONOMIST: BMW��s British bruises

BMW, as he helped it rise to lead the premium-sporty market, or at Ford's Premier Automotive Group, where he attempted to turn round Jaguar, Land Rover, Volvo and Aston Martin.

ECONOMIST: Face value

Or in motor cars: should we be whooping for Jaguar Land Rover's global success, or toning it down because the owner of the group is Indian Tata?

BBC: How many cheers for British companies?