30 British Companies That Made Products That Lasted 50 Years — Then Vanished

0:00 30 British companies whose products lasted 50 years, then vanished. 1:11 ECKO 1:51 Mullard 2:34 Decca 3:09 Belling 3:50 Hoover 4:35 Garrard 5:13 Raleigh 5:57 Bush 6:46 EMI 7:38 Jones sewing machines 10:00 Humber 10:47 Roots Group 11:35 Triumph 12:21 Wolseley 14:09 J. Lyons and Company 14:58 Little Chef 15:37 Debenhams 16:26 Dan Air 17:15 British Caledonian 18:04 Laker Airways 20:01 Pullman Car Company 20:48 Dorman Long 21:38 Cable and Wireless 22:32 Littlewoods 24:25 Woolworths 25:22 Sinclair 26:25 Marconi 27:23 Burton What happens when products last so long that the companies making them can no longer survive? I count down 30 British companies whose televisions, bicycles, sewing machines, cars, airlines, shops and other products outlived the businesses behind them. I look at the forces that brought them down, from cheap imports and planned obsolescence to corporate takeovers, changing markets and decisions made in distant boardrooms. Along the way, I revisit Raleigh, Bush, EMI, Sinclair, Marconi, Burton and many more. I also explore what these companies reveal about durability, repairability and the things Britain once built to last. Tell me which of these names you remember, and whether you still have one of their products at home.