Wednesday 21st February 2007
Noble lets the M12 and M400 go
But company keeps rights in the UK only
Noble M400
Noble Automotive has assigned manufacturing rights to the M12/400 series vehicle in the USA to 1g Racing. The assignment allows 1g, based in Hamilton, Ohio, to continue production of the vehicle which is still in demand in the USA and elsewhere.
Noble retains full rights to the car in the UK and control over the use of trademarks and naming.
Under terms of the agreement, 1g is required to re-badge and re-name the car by July 15th 2007, and is permitted to modify the vehicle to suit the needs of the 1g customer.
Company boss Lee Noble said: "The M12 has been a very successful model for Noble Automotive and we have learned much from it. Our new model will be a big step forward and this will leave no room in our line up for the M12/400 as we need to concentrate all of our attention on the development of our new model. However we will remain committed to all Noble owners, and will maintain the supply of all M12 and M400 parts for our owners and dealers."
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twincam16
Original Poster
27,230 posts
127 months
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Odd move, but, I suppose, no different to Lotus selling Caterham the rights to the Seven.
Looks like Noble are making a big effort to make sure their new car is built up to a level of quality and usability to rival the likes of Porsche.
Best of luck to them .
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V6GTO
11,559 posts
111 months
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Believe me...the M15 is going to blow us away!
Martin.
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m12_nathan
5,138 posts
128 months
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So at the moment you cannot actually buy a new Noble then? Seems a strange move to drop the M12 & M400 before the M15 is ready?
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kennys
35 posts
111 months
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ITS ALL OR NOTHING FOR NEXT CAR! they are obviously trying to squeeze £ from anywhere and everywhere.
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AMG Merc
8,230 posts
122 months
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So at long last, clarification as to why the M12/M400 is absent from Noble's website! Perhaps one could order a RHD 1G derivitive (import) - 1G's rendition is bound to be a superior motor - IMHO (not that the current M12/M400 are bad at all)! 
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AMG Merc
8,230 posts
122 months
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V6GTO said: Believe me...the M15 is going to blow us away!
Martin. Martin, you may be correct (I certainly hope so) but, boy am I fed up of hearing this statement! 
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ThatPhilBrettGuy
11,527 posts
109 months
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Er, so US rights are 1G's but the UK's are still Noble's....but they don't want to make it any more. Some people have spent too much time in factories full of glass fiber fumes if you ask me.....
Sad really.
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GregE240
10,749 posts
136 months
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V6GTO said: Believe me...the M15 is going to blow us away!
Martin. 
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Stuart J
535 posts
126 months
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TVR dropped the succesful cheaper cars in favour of newer models & lost a lot of loyal customers by simply outpricing them. I just hope if Noble want to compete with the big boys head on they can produce the goods & more importantly something that has the quality & desireability to hold its value.
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Horse_Apple
3,795 posts
111 months
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I'm certainly looking forward to seeing the M15.
Noble have clearly not been selling any of the M12s and if they can get a bit of much needed cahs in by selling the US rights to it then good luck to them.
What is the company actually selling at this moment in time? I have to say I have my concerns about their future as a switch of financial backer is often a prelude to nastier things and the M15 seems to be taking a very long time to appear.
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KINETIC
348 posts
113 months
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In my opinion this is a bizarre move for any company that was genuinely interested in longevity of their 'brand'. Selling the rights to their defining product! Indeed presently their only product! 
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Lord-Flasheart
5,169 posts
83 months
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I love Noble, they are such a brilliant and intresting Porsche alternative. Get the impression that the Topgear crew like them as well.
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misterx
656 posts
119 months
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What will this do for the price of second hand M12/M400's then?
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julesv
1,663 posts
93 months
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Seems very strange. With events at TVR I would have thought there was a fantastic opportunity to produce cars at the cheaper end of the TVR price list. I really worry about the competition in the £75,000 price bracket.
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mark3man
221 posts
80 months
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julesv said: Seems very strange. With events at TVR I would have thought there was a fantastic opportunity to produce cars at the cheaper end of the TVR price list. I really worry about the competition in the £75,000 price bracket. At the £75k level, these competitors have greater clout overall, ability to introduce money off in all sorts of subtle/unsubtle ways, deliver more quickly and so on. I work in a competitive industry, but I don't think I'd like to make cars. Let's hope Noble make the next car as much a success as the others have been.
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pasthim
4,219 posts
103 months
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I am sure they didn't want to do this but they are a tiny car company who have limited funds. Sometimes companies have to do these things simply to progress. It is a worry that their eggs are in one £75,000 basket. Competition is very fierce here. This could be 'do or die time for them'. Fingers crossed for Noble though...
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nobbles
269 posts
129 months
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I think its a clever move, to keep the two lines going would mean more staff, space etc that may outweigh the profits gained from these models, more than likely Noble is either getting royalties or a payout for the license. Invest these royalties and the cash saved by not expanding the factory and workforce and put it into the new car - how can it be bad?
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JAZ 34
557 posts
112 months
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misterx said: What will this do for the price of second hand M12/M400's then? My first thoughts indeed.
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sammi
62 posts
116 months
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pasthim said: .... Sometimes companies have to do these things simply to progress.... This may be a sensible move for Noble and 1G Racing. It surely allows 1G to modify the 3R and M400 how they want it for the American market, without affecting Noble's brand. "Under the terms of the agreement, 1G is required to re-badge and rename the car" - sensible. "...and is permitted to modify the vehicle to suit the needs of the 1G customer" - if they have been doing this already, then perhaps Noble have felt they cannot control this, and best to put a bit of distance between the two companies ? Noble can then concentrate on getting their M15 out, but it does not stop them coming up with at a later stage an M12 Mark 2 ? Seems logical and rational, and showing that they (unlike TVR) are trying to think ahead.
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yak293
116 posts
102 months
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it was common knowledge to the dealers nearly a year ago that noble had dropped the m12.
they just carried on the pretence till now.
its all down to the m15/16 now and has been for a long time since.
genuinely I really hope you all get the car you want, within some sort of acceptable timeframe !!
me I got fed up being treated like a mushroom a last year.
so have bought the best car I have ever owned a 997 gt3 and its the dog's .
get one for a year or so, while you wait for noble to supply you something!
regards
yak293
ps are there any others who are no longer prepared to wait ??
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