RE: Can Riley revive MG and TVR?

RE: Can Riley revive MG and TVR?

Author
Discussion

Bwoz

1 posts

254 months

Friday 16th March 2007
quotequote all
Well I do not know about the financial sector or 0.5% e to the i to the f to the p annual gross beflumper ratio. What I do know is that TVR were (as in my humble opinion a foreign TVR is not a TVR) Sh** hot b**ls out sports cars. Lacking the traction control autopilot stuff that other cars in the sector have, making them dangerous but fun! which correct me if I am wrong is what it is all about. Don't get me wrong they do have their faults suchas reliability and leaking like sieves but they are generally cars to be passionate about. I personally think TVR doing their own engines may have been a mistake as although the V8 and the straight six are great you cannot nip into the motorist centre and get bits like you used to be able to on the older models, this makes people a little bit wary of the second hand ones. i.e. you can pickup a cerbera 4.2 for little over ten grand now which is a hell of a lot of car for the money, until it goes wrong.
Back ANYONE who is willing to put some cash into anything British, Jesus we will soon completely lose are identity.
And make St Georges day a bank holiday as well.

Cheers Bwoz

ewenm

28,506 posts

246 months

Friday 16th March 2007
quotequote all
JR said:
oldgriff said:
Hand-built at £60K? Forget it.

Aero8, Marcos?

Bristol are doing just fine too, and slightly over £60k.

lone granger

801 posts

244 months

Friday 16th March 2007
quotequote all
Not more bl**dy £60,000 + cars..........................

Are you guys fed up with ludicrous costing cars that try and do 200 mph???!!

The Griffith sold because it had: looks, sound and value - its not rocket science..........

ewenm

28,506 posts

246 months

Friday 16th March 2007
quotequote all
lone granger said:
Not more bl**dy £60,000 + cars..........................

Are you guys fed up with ludicrous costing cars that try and do 200 mph???!!

The Griffith sold because it had: looks, sound and value - its not rocket science..........

I agree, a decent sports car a la Griffith in the 30k bracket is needed - more exciting than the Boxster but in that category.

bjwoods

5,015 posts

285 months

Friday 16th March 2007
quotequote all
A 1998 griff speced with met paint and FULL leather would have set you back £40k!!!!!!

Just because you could buy a 4.3 griff in 1992 for £28k

Doesn't mean it is possible in 2007

B

ewenm

28,506 posts

246 months

Friday 16th March 2007
quotequote all
bjwoods said:
A 1998 griff speced with met paint and FULL leather would have set you back £40k!!!!!!

Just because you could buy a 4.3 griff in 1992 for £28k

Doesn't mean it is possible in 2007

B

Yep, so still Boxster territory...

Presumably the Boxster makes money, so something slightly hairy-chestier can still appeal to the buyers.

JonRB

74,615 posts

273 months

Friday 16th March 2007
quotequote all
There has to be a market for a TVR pitched at the same price point as the Boxster, SLK, Z4M, etc. yet offering the old TVR values of power to excess, simplicity and lack of drivers aids.

The Tamora used to sell for £36k so I don't see why a Griff or Chimaera replacement with a crate engine couldn't.

BossCerbera

8,188 posts

244 months

Friday 16th March 2007
quotequote all
Indeed and Tom Walkinshaw is sniffing round it. His "Elfin" things won't cut it but what he's working on might - V8 powered too.

bjwoods

5,015 posts

285 months

Friday 16th March 2007
quotequote all
ewenm said:
bjwoods said:
A 1998 griff speced with met paint and FULL leather would have set you back £40k!!!!!!

Just because you could buy a 4.3 griff in 1992 for £28k

Doesn't mean it is possible in 2007

B

Yep, so still Boxster territory...

Presumably the Boxster makes money, so something slightly hairy-chestier can still appeal to the buyers.

Yes it makes money, but porsche make more boxsters/caymans in 6 months than TVR has EVER made in 60 years... the profit comes from the volume and economies of scale.

B

ewenm

28,506 posts

246 months

Friday 16th March 2007
quotequote all
bjwoods said:
ewenm said:
bjwoods said:
A 1998 griff speced with met paint and FULL leather would have set you back £40k!!!!!!

Just because you could buy a 4.3 griff in 1992 for £28k

Doesn't mean it is possible in 2007

B

Yep, so still Boxster territory...

Presumably the Boxster makes money, so something slightly hairy-chestier can still appeal to the buyers.

Yes it makes money, but porsche make more boxsters/caymans in 6 months than TVR has EVER made in 60 years... the profit comes from the volume and economies of scale.

B

Very true.

Key point for me is to not try to develop an inhouse engine. A crate engine from somewhere with the development focus on handling and impact. It wouldn't need the fit and finish of a Boxster if it was more evocative and emotive.

marco1958

141 posts

211 months

Saturday 17th March 2007
quotequote all
Pointless arguements one and all Firstly we will all be driving smart cars chipped to 30 mph pretty soon and then secondly we will all be either burnt or drowned or frozen to death by global warming so whoever designs the fastest 0-30 engine will be the next king of the road.

odyssey2200

18,650 posts

210 months

Sunday 18th March 2007
quotequote all
BossCerbera said:
Indeed and Tom Walkinshaw is sniffing round it. His "Elfin" things won't cut it but what he's working on might - V8 powered too.



Elfin Streamline is a cool car but just too dear to bring to the Uk and way over the £30K

BossCerbera

8,188 posts

244 months

Sunday 18th March 2007
quotequote all
odyssey2200 said:
BossCerbera said:
Indeed and Tom Walkinshaw is sniffing round it. His "Elfin" things won't cut it but what he's working on might - V8 powered too.

Elfin Streamline is a cool car but just too dear to bring to the Uk and way over the £30K

I was responding the first part of JonRB's post, not the reference to £36K. ie "there has to be a market for..." - there is a market opportunity.

I am bored of reading the "£30K" argument, it's bollox. The cheapest "TVR" would have a price beginning with a 4 - which, index linked, is in line with Griff/Chim prices of a decade ago.

JonRB

74,615 posts

273 months

Sunday 18th March 2007
quotequote all
BossCerbera said:
I am bored of reading the "£30K" argument, it's bollocks. The cheapest "TVR" would have a price beginning with a 4 - which, index linked, is in line with Griff/Chim prices of a decade ago.

I know this isn't aimed at me in particular, but I was saying £36k, not £30k, and that was only because that was the price the Tamora was.

But £36k or £42k, I still think that a TVR that meets the Boxster, SLK, Z4 and the like head-on with regards to price but with superior performance (even if only in a straight line in classic TVR "point & squirt" style) would be a very credible strategy.

My point was that constant talk of TVR "going up market" is equally boring (and bollocks) and simply doomed to failure.

joust

14,622 posts

260 months

Monday 19th March 2007
quotequote all
JonRB said:
But £36k or £42k, I still think that a TVR that meets the Boxster, SLK, Z4 and the like head-on with regards to price but with superior performance (even if only in a straight line in classic TVR "point & squirt" style) would be a very credible strategy.
But you can get a Z4M for £40k. I just paid that for an unregistered example at my local BMW dealer.

0-60 in 5, BMW quality inside, a top that drops in 8 seconds by pressing the key, quality leather, plastics and alu interior, and more electronics than you can shake a stick at. Plus you know it's all backed up by BMW reliability and service.

IMHO you just can't compete with a GRP bodied "hand built" car with things like that available at the same price, hence the need to get 'out' of the 40k bracket.

J

BossCerbera

8,188 posts

244 months

Tuesday 27th March 2007
quotequote all
Just seen the new Chinese MG plant on the TV news, churning out ZTs and TFs, proudly wearing their octagonal MG badges AND the chequered/union jack fender badges.

Wages of Chinese workers: £5, per day.

tinman0

18,231 posts

241 months

Tuesday 27th March 2007
quotequote all
joust said:
JonRB said:
But £36k or £42k, I still think that a TVR that meets the Boxster, SLK, Z4 and the like head-on with regards to price but with superior performance (even if only in a straight line in classic TVR "point & squirt" style) would be a very credible strategy.
But you can get a Z4M for £40k. I just paid that for an unregistered example at my local BMW dealer.

0-60 in 5, BMW quality inside, a top that drops in 8 seconds by pressing the key, quality leather, plastics and alu interior, and more electronics than you can shake a stick at. Plus you know it's all backed up by BMW reliability and service.

IMHO you just can't compete with a GRP bodied "hand built" car with things like that available at the same price, hence the need to get 'out' of the 40k bracket.


maybe not everyone wants a BMW though?

joust

14,622 posts

260 months

Wednesday 28th March 2007
quotequote all
tinman0 said:
maybe not everyone wants a BMW though?
Of course not, but what is blatently clear is no-one wants a shoddily built fibreglass car who's only reedeeming feature is that the exhaust noise is loud.

It's not just BMW in the £40k convertible area, every major premium marque is now there.

J

JR

12,722 posts

259 months

Wednesday 28th March 2007
quotequote all
joust said:
It's not just BMW in the £40k convertible area, every major premium marque is now there.

Inc. Aston, Bentley, Ferrari, Lambo...

joust

14,622 posts

260 months

Wednesday 28th March 2007
quotequote all
JR said:
Inc. Aston, Bentley, Ferrari, Lambo...
I said premium, not luxury or supercar