But, despite their huge resources and the backing of Fiat, their glory days are in the past.

Mostowfi's cabinet finally collapsed under pressure from political opponents despite the full backing of Ahmad Shah Qajar.

Despite the backing they give to their own team, the Green and White Army are also renowned for their friendliness.

But despite the backing of the Teheran Government they are poorly equipped.

Yet despite the high-level backing, the talks have slowed to a glacial pace, largely because of the resistance of the Saudi state oil company, industry experts say.

Despite the backing of the wealthy Ferdinand de Rothschild, investors were deterred by costly tunnelling.

Despite the overwhelming backing for Utah's measure, some legislators here continued to see it as wrongheaded and perhaps unconstitutional.

Another problem for Warnock is that despite the backing he has received he was not appointed by Fernandes.

Despite the backing of the necessary authorities, an organised local population managed to persuade the East Devon council to reject the licence application.

The earlier commercial empire at the fallen Foundation had been diverse and loosely knit, despite the impalpable backing at the predictions of psycho-history.