Bailouts, bad products, and a total misunderstanding of the brands they ran. These ten terrible auto executives nearly ruined the auto industry as we know it.

Our 24 Hours of LeMons "Porschelump" was far too much of a basket case for one crew member and an injured me to put back together in time to race it last weekend. So, we decided to hang out with some dudes who were trying to build two Austin Americas in the paddock.

Welcome to Forgotten Cars, where we highlight fascinating cars and engines that are obscure, unrecognized and lost to the passage of time.

Orphaned by the conspiracy-laden bankruptcy of British Leyland, the generally-terrible Austin Princess attracts a special kind of old car curmudgeon. That's why seeing this 1,500 word eBay rant about one such car shouldn't surprise anyone.

What has four wheels and reflexes so quick it almost seems alive? The MG Midget of course. During the model's final year of production British Leyland decided to pair up the still clean cut and color coordinated sport of skateboarding with their not long for the world and mostly outdated MG Midget to create this…

"It seems that the MGC's biggest problem was that it was the answer to a question no one was really asking," according to Ate Up With Motor's Aaron Severson in his latest article.

While the penumbral financial backers of my DUI Telepresence Crown Victoria Figure Eight Racing series shovel rubles into briefcases, I'm moving on to an even bigger Greatest Racing Series Ever™: Last-man-standing road racing of the three great automotive Ambassadors!

Even though the Triumph slant-four engine proved quite reliable after SAAB tinkered with it for a few decades, British Leyland never quite found the magic formula to make the TR7 hold together as well as the SAAB 99.

Do you see any problem with roaring down the beach at high speed, locking up the brakes when you see a sexy Malaise Era bike rider? If not, British Leyland has the car for you!

British Leyland, the envy of the global automotive industry in 1971, knew it had something special with its new Marina. Two body styles!

Though I've moved to Colorado, I've still got some California junkyard photos to share. How about two Triumph TR7s at the same yard? I feel like going on strike against British Leyland now!

When INGSOC takes over Britain, how will the Outer Party officials be brought to their jobs at the Ministry Of Truth? In chauffeur-driven Austin Allegros, of course!

It's big, it boasts a body designed by the Italian design house responsible for the Maserati 5000 GT and Alpine A106, and it packed Buick V8 power under its vast hood. And, uh, mumble mumble Lucas Electrics mumble mumble.

The Austin Mini had the fourth-longest production run of any car in history, behind only the Volkswagen Type I, the Morgan 4/4, and the Morris Oxford/Hindustan Motors Ambassador. By 1989, it still had 11 more years to go!

Thanks to a tip from Patinaproof, I've finally found a cheap source for the many small parts I need for my personal Project Car hell. The big score: front Armstrong lever shocks in great shape.

Most of us will look at these admittedly godawful numbers for the Triumphs, Jaguars, and MGs we've seen in LeMons races and back away in horror… but your true British car aficionado will see those numbers as a challenge! More Spitfires! More Rover 3500s! More Humber Sceptres!

Welcome to Down On The Street, where we admire old vehicles found parked on the streets of the Island That Rust Forgot: Alameda, California. We've seen four Alameda MGBs, but never a Midget… until today!

This is Down On The Street Bonus Edition, where we check out interesting street-parked cars located in places other than the Island That Rust Forgot. Look what lives near the W108 and the Land Rover Station Wagon!

According to the Rover SD1's Wikipedia entry, only 800 of these fine examples of British Leyland craftsmanship- badged as the Rover 3500- were exported to the United States. Here's one that beat the odds for quite a while.