The British Motorcycle Industry at a Crossroads

Jan W. Rivkin

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Case | HBS Case Collection | January 2003 (Revised January 2008)

The British Motorcycle Industry at a Crossroads

by Jan W. Rivkin

Abstract

By 1975, the collapse of the British motorcycle industry is nearly complete. Only one British manufacturer, NVT, remains in operation. In this setting, the British government commissions the Boston Consulting Group to identify and evaluate strategic alternatives for NVT and its suppliers. This case summarizes what the consultants discovered as they sized up the global motorcycle industry and Britain's place in it.

Keywords: Cost; Industry Structures; Business and Government Relations; Mathematical Methods; Competition; Consulting Industry; Manufacturing Industry; Motorcycle Industry; Great Britain;