What happened to Tangerine and Oric?
Tangerine (formed in 1979) originally produced the Microtan 65 computer, ancestor of the Oric 1. There was also a business machine called the Tigress. In 1982, they formed Oric Products International Ltd to produce a new micro. Tangerine remained as the research and development arm of the group until dissolved (what year anyone?). Oric were taken over by Edenspring Investments in November 1983, a move which raised a much-needed £4 million of extra capital (partly from what Edenspring paid and partly through sales of shares). Oric went into receivership in February 1985. Ownership of the company then moved to France (but that part of the story is very complicated – I’ll get my head round it one day!) going bust again in December 1987. It traded on in the hands of the receiver until December 1988, a pale shadow of its former self. For more details, you should read ‘Oric – The Story So Far’ by Jonathan Haworth. An online version is available at ‘Oric World’, where you can also find detail
