Great news from Caterham Cars re Number of Cars Sold in 2016
Discussion
Sorry for the Daily Mail link, but this is a great bit of news from CC.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/cars/article-4125...
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/cars/article-4125...
AndrewGP said:
Good news but the line 'the company aims to keep it's pricing down for enthusiasts' is pure Daily Mail BS 
Yep typical daily mail fluff! I suspect they would not even know what any of the current models are, just look at the file stock photos they used for the article, they are aincent.!
sjmmarsh said:
Funny... I was in there on New Year's Eve and said it looked like they had had a good year based on howmanyleft.com. It was obvious from the 1st 3 quarters registrations that they were doing well!
Steve
Yep seems so Steve, as can also be witnessed by the very few used stock models they have for sale too.Steve
Dave Ridley told me that' the order book is full for this year too now also.
Great news for CC, a pain if you want a new car now, as you would be lucky to see it before 2018!
I fear it may lull Caterham in leaving the cars exactly as they are. While I don't see any sense in airconditioning, I don't think that its beyond the whit of man to keep the footwell air cooler or give a bit more footroom (without buying an SV). Nor do I think that the fresh air vents or more modern switchgear were responsible for the CSR's lack of commercial success. (I don't regard the indicator switch as a desirable period feature). As far as I can remember the last significant (non-power train) upgrade to the S3/5 was to give the driver, rather than the passenger, a handbrake - and the high vis hood.
There are other areas too - some significantly better sidescreens perhaps, perhaps a hood arrangement more like the Elise (but better, I hope) with a removable back window - or even a targa top.
There are other areas too - some significantly better sidescreens perhaps, perhaps a hood arrangement more like the Elise (but better, I hope) with a removable back window - or even a targa top.
bcr5784 said:
I fear it may lull Caterham in leaving the cars exactly as they are. While I don't see any sense in airconditioning, I don't think that its beyond the whit of man to keep the footwell air cooler or give a bit more footroom (without buying an SV). Nor do I think that the fresh air vents or more modern switchgear were responsible for the CSR's lack of commercial success. (I don't regard the indicator switch as a desirable period feature). As far as I can remember the last significant (non-power train) upgrade to the S3/5 was to give the driver, rather than the passenger, a handbrake - and the high vis hood.
There are other areas too - some significantly better sidescreens perhaps, perhaps a hood arrangement more like the Elise (but better, I hope) with a removable back window - or even a targa top.
Interesting view point.There are other areas too - some significantly better sidescreens perhaps, perhaps a hood arrangement more like the Elise (but better, I hope) with a removable back window - or even a targa top.
But I suspect that with that level of sales succes, CC probably feel that they have got the product, messaging and market focus just right.
I doubt that they would want to have too much more unit sales per annum, as it would need a significant investment in the production line, people and training too.
In the same way, making big changes to the S3 chassis would be a wast of effort, as most people needing more space would just buy an SV model anyway.
It's true the roof hasn't changed for a long time, and is pretty poor design, I personally never use my full hood any more, I just prefer to use the half hood, or the tonneau is left overnight.
TheDeadPrussian said:
I ordered a new 420R (in kit form) just before Christmas and have been given a May delivery date...here's hoping!
Great news buddy, I think kits are coming out quicker than factory cars.Have fun with you build, 420R will be a great tool.
Don't forget to share pictures and the build,blog with us too!
Non Daily Fail link for those who'd rather read the news directly:
http://uk.caterhamcars.com/news/highest-annual-sal...
http://uk.caterhamcars.com/news/highest-annual-sal...
bcr5784 said:
I fear it may lull Caterham in leaving the cars exactly as they are. While I don't see any sense in airconditioning, I don't think that its beyond the whit of man to keep the footwell air cooler or give a bit more footroom (without buying an SV). Nor do I think that the fresh air vents or more modern switchgear were responsible for the CSR's lack of commercial success. (I don't regard the indicator switch as a desirable period feature). As far as I can remember the last significant (non-power train) upgrade to the S3/5 was to give the driver, rather than the passenger, a handbrake - and the high vis hood.
There are other areas too - some significantly better sidescreens perhaps, perhaps a hood arrangement more like the Elise (but better, I hope) with a removable back window - or even a targa top.
So....despite showing record sales you think they should fundamentally change the product for some reason?There are other areas too - some significantly better sidescreens perhaps, perhaps a hood arrangement more like the Elise (but better, I hope) with a removable back window - or even a targa top.
If it ain't broke.....
framerateuk said:
Non Daily Fail link for those who'd rather read the news directly:
http://uk.caterhamcars.com/news/highest-annual-sal...
Much better to read it from the horses mouth!http://uk.caterhamcars.com/news/highest-annual-sal...
Still can't figure why it came from the daily mail first before CC themselves posted it though?
justleanitupabit said:
So....despite showing record sales you think they should fundamentally change the product for some reason?
If it ain't broke.....
The Extra sales come from the 160 so Caterham have found a new Market. Good for them. They can either congratulate themselves and do nothing or reinvest some of the profits in product improvements. Oddly I'd prefer the latter. If it ain't broke.....
bcr5784 said:
The Extra sales come from the 160 so Caterham have found a new Market. Good for them. They can either congratulate themselves and do nothing or reinvest some of the profits in product improvements. Oddly I'd prefer the latter. I didn't suggest any FUNDAMENTAL change in the product -which would be unwise. None of the changes I suggest are at all major, no more significant than the Harrods edition - and a damn sight more useful.
bcr5784 said:
bcr5784 said:
The Extra sales come from the 160 so Caterham have found a new Market. Good for them. They can either congratulate themselves and do nothing or reinvest some of the profits in product improvements. Oddly I'd prefer the latter. I didn't suggest any FUNDAMENTAL change in the product -which would be unwise. None of the changes I suggest are at all major, no more significant than the Harrods edition - and a damn sight more useful.
Variations like the 160 and the Sprint are great but within the design brief that has served them very well this year.
Change for change sake is stupid.
CC will also be mindful of the approvals required for their manufacture. Currently they use the IVA route, but that is only valid for 'very small' numbers of cars. Full type approval would be exceedingly costly for CC, and while there is an intermediate level (small series approval) this is limited to 1,000 vehicles EU-wide (and would still be more costly).
Steve
Steve
justleanitupabit said:
A bigger footwell will involve major change, a roof like an Elise and a Targa top are pretty fundamental, all your suggestions.
Variations like the 160 and the Sprint are great but within the design brief that has served them very well this year.
Change for change sake is stupid.
A bigger footwell could be achieved by a "blister" on the side - simply replace a small part of the aluminium with a fibreglass panel (I'll see if I find an example of another "&" kit car manufacturer who has done this). An Elise like roof would only need a minor change to the roll bar, screen and sidescreens to be accommodated. The CSR was a VAST development by comparison - that WAS fundamental. Variations like the 160 and the Sprint are great but within the design brief that has served them very well this year.
Change for change sake is stupid.
Change for the sake of it IS stupid, but what are the worst aspects of the 7 - heat and lack of space in the footwell area, and a hood that most are reluctant to use (or choose a half-hood instead). To class a Sprint (which has no practical merit over a 160, but costs far more) as "great" is ridiculous. It may be good for Caterham's coffers but it has little else to recommend in over the standard 160.
bcr5784 said:
A bigger footwell could be achieved by a "blister" on the side - simply replace a small part of the aluminium with a fibreglass panel (I'll see if I find an example of another "&" kit car manufacturer who has done this).
Sounds lovely 
. I'm far from a fan of the sevens aesthetics, but really? bcr5784 said:
An Elise like roof would only need a minor change to the roll bar, screen and sidescreens to be accommodated. The CSR was a VAST development by comparison - that WAS fundamental.
The CSR had the same roof 
bcr5784 said:
Change for the sake of it IS stupid, but what are the worst aspects of the 7 - heat and lack of space in the footwell area, and a hood that most are reluctant to use (or choose a half-hood instead).
The worst aspects to *YOU* - how many new Caterham's have you bought recently, and how many more would *you* buy if they made those changes? I hear lots of complaints about the sevens shortcomings - very few of them mention any of your issues.bcr5784 said:
To class a Sprint (which has no practical merit over a 160, but costs far more) as "great" is ridiculous. It may be good for Caterham's coffers but it has little else to recommend in over the standard 160.
By what metric should a manufacturer judge 'greatness' if not sales?sfaulds said:
bcr5784 said:
A bigger footwell could be achieved by a "blister" on the side - simply replace a small part of the aluminium with a fibreglass panel (I'll see if I find an example of another "&" kit car manufacturer who has done this).
Sounds lovely . I'm far from a fan of the sevens aesthetics, but really? Westfield do exactly that - you'd do it a bit differently in a 7, but same idea - even an extra inch would be a boon
bcr5784 said:
An Elise like roof would only need a minor change to the roll bar, screen and sidescreens to be accommodated. The CSR was a VAST development by comparison - that WAS fundamental.
The CSR had the same roof Yes but the CSR had completely different suspension and a major interior rework - a far bigger development.
bcr5784 said:
Change for the sake of it IS stupid, but what are the worst aspects of the 7 - heat and lack of space in the footwell area, and a hood that most are reluctant to use (or choose a half-hood instead).
The worst aspects to *YOU* - how many new Caterham's have you bought recently, and how many more would *you* buy if they made those changes? I hear lots of complaints about the sevens shortcomings - very few of them mention any of your issues.Read the aircon thread for example.
bcr5784 said:
To class a Sprint (which has no practical merit over a 160, but costs far more) as "great" is ridiculous. It may be good for Caterham's coffers but it has little else to recommend in over the standard 160.
By what metric should a manufacturer judge 'greatness' if not sales?Toyota Corolla springs to mind.... I think it's rather sad if Caterham needs bling to boost its sales.
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