Could Al Melling be our saviour

[zooooom]

Dispite what some people invovled with TVR might think of the man could Al Melling step in were TVR has left off ????
I’m sitting thinking after read the Al Melling Hellcats threads, and can’t help but think that Al is missing a great opportunity here. Yes if the Hellcat does come to fruition and is a world super car beater brilliant, and wow besides me to critise the man but I do think he’s running before he can walk.
With the almost certain demises of our beloved TVR Melling has a great opportunity to pick up TVRs niche market here.
After all he was heavily involve with the company and arguably helped create the greatest car TVR ever produces in the AJP V8 Cerbera.
He already has offered an updated and modern AJP V8.
The Hellcat has the same basic design principles as a TVR, front-mid engined, rwd, no driver aids as well as being (tubular space frame with composite body shell)
It sounds as if he has the facilities in place already to build cars.
All he needs to do is design a car in the price bracket of recent TVRs (preferably a different designer to the one that penciled the Hellcat).
He is a great campainer and champion of our great british sports car heritage.
But most of all it would be an all british sports car.
Just a thought.

Edited by zooooom on Wednesday 31st January 15:59

[jagdpanther]

If Melling gets it right, not only could it filter straight into what was TVR's market, but when the next owner of TVR comes along (there will be another owner in the not too distant future, mark my words) it will make the future owner more aware of what work he/she has to carry out under the TVR banner before being able to take the market back or at least a good share of it.

IMO before anyone shouts at me

[rev-erend]

I think you have the wording wrong on the title.

Surely all he would be doing is giving the niche market that we love an alternative car to buy.

He has gone up market quite a bit though.

Smolinski also wants this area and not the one we love .. apparently.

< 50K.

Big performance, low running costs, convertible and 2+2 coupe..
and lastly drop dead good looks.

It should be easy but many do not have all the formula to entice us to part with our cash.

Personally - if I have 120 ~ 200 K to spend on a car : not sure
that I would be looking at a high end TVR or a Melling.

[zooooom]

jagdpanther said:

If Melling gets it right, not only could it filter straight into what was TVR's market, but when the next owner of TVR comes along (there will be another owner in the not too distant future, mark my words) it will make the future owner more aware of what work he/she has to carry out under the TVR banner before being able to take the market back or at least a good share of it.

IMO before anyone shouts at me

When you say the next owner of TVR are you talking about what Smolinski owns of TVR or what he split up off loaded and the factory ?
Surely if a buyer is found for what was of loaded and wants to restart production at blackpool what would the company be called as Smolinski owns the TVR name and Brand ?

Edited by zooooom on Wednesday 31st January 17:42

[zooooom]

rev-erend said:

I think you have the wording wrong on the title.

Surely all he would be doing is giving the niche market that we love an alternative car to buy.

He has gone up market quite a bit though.

Smolinski also wants this area and not the one we love .. apparently.

< 50K.

Big performance, low running costs, convertible and 2+2 coupe..
and lastly drop dead good looks.
It should be easy but many do not have all the formula to entice us to part with our cash.

Personally - if I have 120 ~ 200 K to spend on a car : not sure
that I would be looking at a high end TVR or a Melling.

Yes thats exactly my point hes missing an golden oppertunity here.
How many current TVR owners are going to buy a Smolinski TVR ????????? especially after what he done to the company and at a projected 120 k plus.
Smolinski has abandend the 50 _ 60 k market.
Melling should jump in with both feet here there is no british alternative that come close to a TVR in this price bracket. If he could produce a 50-60 k car it might not say TVR on the bonnet but its the closest we will ever get to it.

[jagdpanther]

zooooom said:

jagdpanther said:

If Melling gets it right, not only could it filter straight into what was TVR's market, but when the next owner of TVR comes along (there will be another owner in the not too distant future, mark my words) it will make the future owner more aware of what work he/she has to carry out under the TVR banner before being able to take the market back or at least a good share of it.

IMO before anyone shouts at me

When you say the next owner of TVR are you talking about what Smolinski owns of TVR or what he split up off loaded and the factory ?
Surely if a buyer is found for what was of loaded and wants to restart production at blackpool what would the company be called as Smolinski owns the TVR name and Brand ?

I mean when eventually Smolenski sells everything as the name and brand at the moment arent worth much because of the recent furore, not honouring warranties, messing the staff about, lying, transfering names of companies, not paying suppliers etc etc

TVR's reputation needs to be rebuilt under a different owner as Smolendski's name is now tarnished along with the Marque, so I think he will eventually cut all his loses and head back to Austria with another Del Boy idea for the future

Edited by jagdpanther on Wednesday 31st January 18:37

[machinehead]

tho it erk's me to say this smolenski, has taken less than 2 yrys to up wot it took peter 20 yrs to build up ........cryin shame................

[gazzab]

Not quite sure you are right (and we digress). Peter and external factors screwed it - it might have been fixable when Peter sold it (but I am not so sure). Nicolai simply accelerated the decline and did it in style !

[mars]

I think history will show that Marcos already has the TVR market with their new car. too early to say for sure but it certainly apes the TVR principles as far as I can see. Steel spaceframe, fibreglass clothes, nice interior (I like it), mahoosive powerful V8 up front and a 50K price tag. It's offered in hard top or T too. It's a winner. Gotta be.

[racingpartners]

Melling should jump in with both feet, and that includes buying TVR! He was part of the Rolls consortium, they didn't have the money. Someone is going to buy it and Melling is the one; to build his 1200HP car, continue the under 50k market cars, and save TVR . TVR is well within his reach. Watch, this is going to happen, Al Melling might be our saviour.

[jagdpanther]

racingpartners said:

Melling might be our saviour.

I bloody hope you're right!!!



Do you think if we all concentrated hard enough, we could transmit this thought directly to Mr Melling just using the power of the mind???



forgive me, Im not entirely with it yet!

[whatever]

jagdpanther said:

racingpartners said:

Melling might be our saviour.

Do you think if we all concentrated hard enough, we could transmit this thought directly to Mr Melling just using the power of the mind???

forgive me, Im not entirely with it yet!

Perhaps best just send him an email

Having said that, if he's interested I'm sure he's already considered/considering it. After all, there's a ready-made work-force in that area with many of the skills he's going to be looking for.

[xtr2turbo]

mars said:

I think history will show that Marcos already has the TVR market with their new car. too early to say for sure but it certainly apes the TVR principles as far as I can see. Steel spaceframe, fibreglass clothes, nice interior (I like it), mahoosive powerful V8 up front and a 50K price tag. It's offered in hard top or T too. It's a winner. Gotta be.

You obviously have not tried to sit in one. Wish I could agree but I think the packaging is fundamentally flawed unfortunately. Also you have to ask why they are so far behind delivering production cars - don't believe all the spin about 'getting it just right' either.

Looking in my view increasingly like another opportunity lost. Hope to be proved wrong though.

[gazzab]

Just look at the frequency of postings on the Marcos bit here. Not exactly creating a stir!

[Crazynick]

Having beem in the Marcos Coupe prototype, I have to say that they are GETTING it right.
You are right about the package too, OK for me, but PRW would not fit and you would have to put a washing machine bubble window in the roof to get Jeremy Clarkson in it.....sure he did not do the test program on Top Gear, was it the Hamster?
Anyhow, they have a lot of the performance, build, comfort, suspension right, so with a stretched package they WILL have the TVR market, and it's not just homologated for Europe!

[jagdpanther]

Hammond tested the Marcos on TG and even he said it was a tight fit....what would it be like with me inside??

Marcos might have an open invitation to TVR's market, but I dont think they will win everyone over as there are still some debates over the styling and the packaging along with the ridiculously tiny interior

TVR for some reason always got the styling just right

[Fire99]

jagdpanther said:

Hammond tested the Marcos on TG and even he said it was a tight fit....what would it be like with me inside??

Marcos might have an open invitation to TVR's market, but I dont think they will win everyone over as there are still some debates over the styling and the packaging along with the ridiculously tiny interior

TVR for some reason always got the styling just right

I must sit in the Marcos and see what its like. Bit worrying that my Chim is a perfect fit for me but i wouldn't want it any smaller..

[jagdpanther]

Fire99 said:

jagdpanther said:

Hammond tested the Marcos on TG and even he said it was a tight fit....what would it be like with me inside??

Marcos might have an open invitation to TVR's market, but I dont think they will win everyone over as there are still some debates over the styling and the packaging along with the ridiculously tiny interior

TVR for some reason always got the styling just right

I must sit in the Marcos and see what its like. Bit worrying that my Chim is a perfect fit for me but i wouldn't want it any smaller..

Thats my point, if Hammond was feeling tight for space in the Marcos, it must be compact inside!

I can get in a Chim with relative ease and comfort, but I think I would need to carry a block of lard around with me if I owned a Marcos

[mars]

The Marcos is small but I come from Se7ens so it still feels all grown up and "proper" to me.

In fact I hadn't considered that the Marcos might have a limited audience owing to its size but it fits me and I'd consider one when their 2nd hand values approach current Cerb values.

That said, I know they've started to deliver some but as mentioned above, the PH forum is suspisciously quiet about them. I wonder if they'll be around in Cerb-numbers in 5 years time for me to buy one.

[Support Britain]

It would be a terrible thing to see TVR go when will it ever end.....

Simon Westmore
Founder of [url]www.SupportBritain.com[/url] and very proud of it!