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chrisg (203.51.11.176)
| | Posted on Saturday, 25 May, 2002 - 17:47: |    |
[This letter was printed in "London & Derby" in March 2002. I reproduce it here because the dread term has been uttered on the forum more than a few times lately. This must stop!]
Date: Fri, 15 Feb 2002 14:18:36 +1100 (EST)
From: Chris Gillings
To: editor@nsw.rroc.org.au
Subject: PMCs
Dear Editor,
Your reference in the February L&D Editorial to that awful, coy acronym "PMC"
for our Rolls-Royce and Bentley vehicles reminded me that it is actually
the name of completely different make of car!
The following is an extract from a web site dedicated to the PMC marque
and its successors.
"The Prince Motor Company was in existence from 1952 until 1966
when it was merged with the Nissan Motor Company. In 1952 the
Tachikawa Aircraft Company started production of the Tama Electric
car. In 1955 Tachikawa changed its name to the Prince
Motor Company, in honor of the Emperor of Japan Crown Prince
Hirohito, and from then on the cars were sold as Princes.
At the same time Prince stopped building electric cars and started
building petrol powered cars. In the mid-60s the Japanese Government
suggested a number of mergers of Japanese companies to create larger
companies that would be better equiped to handle any hostile takeover
attempts by foreign companies. Nissan and Prince took the government's
advice, and in 1966 they merged. (At the same time Toyota merged with
Hino and Daihatsu.) Most of the Prince models were kept in production,
but from 1967 on they were sold as Nissans or Datsuns. The Prince
division still operates independently inside Nissan and is responsible
for the Skyline range, including the awesome GT-R."
[http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Pit/3823/prince.html]
From my searches on the internet I find there is an active club and
register in Norway called the "Norway Datsun & PMC Register". Apparently
they were exported to Norway in quantity during the sixties.
PMC was no lightweight manufacturer, either: a PMC R380-II race car broke
seven world speed records and an R381 won the 1968 Japanese Grand Prix.
From this I conclude that the use of the term "PMC" by RROC members in
referring to their cars is not only insulting to both RRs and PMCs, but
fundamentally incorrect and inappropriate. Its use should cease
henceforth.
I shall do my bit to discourage its use: when I hear someone refer to
their PMC, I may loudly ask if they have a Homer T64 light truck or a
Gloria S40 saloon!
Regards,
--
Chris Gillings
"Quidvis recte factum quamvis humile praeclarum" - H.Royce, Mechanic |
RROCA Web Site Administrator (144.137.127.76)
| | Posted on Sunday, 22 September, 2002 - 15:28: | |
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