IN his follow-up to to my letter about British industry Zarko Stevanovich (Wednesday’s Oxford Mail ViewPoints)points out how few British cars are seen abroad, which is, of course, because there is very little left of British-owned car firms.

Even luxury cars like Rolls Royce and Bentley are now German-owned.

Isn’t it amazing that other countries find marketing these famous brands profitable whereas we can’t?

What the last owners of Rover did was a disgrace, in what looks like an attempt to make a quick buck, blow the product.

I had expected that the sales of cars would decline, with oil slowly being used up and fuel becoming more expensive.

With the very serious damage that’s being done to the environment, I had expected an international ban on further oil exploration, but, so far, nothing seems to galvanise the world into action. There can be no argument that the car is a menace.

It doesn’t seem so long ago that we dominated the motor cycle, the bicycle, light aircraft, shipbuilding, chocolates, trains and textile industries and, I'm sure, others will think of more.

What has happened to them?

I’ve no doubt that shareholders will say making a profit from their shares when an offer is made for them is what private enterprise is all about, or owners stuffing as much into their pockets as possible without spending too much on the product.

Where have invention and enterprise gone?

DERRICK HOLT Fortnam Close Headington Oxford