We’re amazingly good at engineering, and have those niche (and expensive) manufacturers. But no volume.
That’s what drives me nuts. The Brits are phenomenal at some things (like programming!), but cannot truly leverage those skills - they get held back by something.
I think that the main British skills are being stubborn and organizing things. Once they decided on empire, then that was just going to happen somehow. Then they could get everyone else to grow things and make things for them.