Devils Advocate
Discussion
I don't know why they don't bring a couple of Tuscan's and Tamoras over here, and structure a contract that states if they can't make it meet the regulations you get your money back, and start taking orders. Take them to a couple of Auto shows (not the big ones) and see what the reaction is.
I think they'd be surprised by the numbers they would get....
I think they'd be surprised by the numbers they would get....
It's a fair cop. Slap the cuffs on......
I am more than willing to stand by a Tuscan at an auto show all day and answer questions by the way, Mr Samuelson if you are reading this !!!!
One thing dealers do here is put cars in the malls, and I think that would be another way to do. We've got a new mall opening here in about a month, and I can only imagine the stir a Tuscan would cause sat there in the middle.....
I am more than willing to stand by a Tuscan at an auto show all day and answer questions by the way, Mr Samuelson if you are reading this !!!!
One thing dealers do here is put cars in the malls, and I think that would be another way to do. We've got a new mall opening here in about a month, and I can only imagine the stir a Tuscan would cause sat there in the middle.....
All this talk gives me the fear. If the Brazilian operation is a separate company that can go bust without blowing up Blackpool, then I feel more comfortable.
The US is a unique market. There are good reasons why US manufacturers don't export cars, or at most sell a very different range of cars into Europe. Driving conditions are very different, customer expectations are different ... and then of course there are the safety and emissions regulations.
If you sell a few cars to real enthusiasts who play with them occaisionally or take them out on the track, then great. But the thought of someone having to negotiate huge numbers of stop signs, crawling round at 25mph, really crappy road surfaces, air-con that doesn't really do the business and the prospect of 55 and occaisionally 65mph out of town ... this isn't TVR territory. My left foot would drop off at about the same time as cooling system would explode and the spark plugs fur up. Auto box, soft suspension, the mother of all air cons, lots of toys and wizzy things ... corvettes, vipers start to make much better sense. US consumers tend to demand rather good customer service too, and with the best will in the world, there is a limit to what TVR can provide compared to Ferrari, Porsche etc. who would be seen as the competition. If your product costs half as much, then you have less money to play with per customer.
I don't get the impression that TVR are ready for a big leap just yet. Better to go for slower organic growth and concentrate on getting it right in their existing market. If they can spin off a company that doesn't take their eye off the ball in the UK, then they have little to loose. But that seems like an unlikely proposition to me.
The US is a unique market. There are good reasons why US manufacturers don't export cars, or at most sell a very different range of cars into Europe. Driving conditions are very different, customer expectations are different ... and then of course there are the safety and emissions regulations.
If you sell a few cars to real enthusiasts who play with them occaisionally or take them out on the track, then great. But the thought of someone having to negotiate huge numbers of stop signs, crawling round at 25mph, really crappy road surfaces, air-con that doesn't really do the business and the prospect of 55 and occaisionally 65mph out of town ... this isn't TVR territory. My left foot would drop off at about the same time as cooling system would explode and the spark plugs fur up. Auto box, soft suspension, the mother of all air cons, lots of toys and wizzy things ... corvettes, vipers start to make much better sense. US consumers tend to demand rather good customer service too, and with the best will in the world, there is a limit to what TVR can provide compared to Ferrari, Porsche etc. who would be seen as the competition. If your product costs half as much, then you have less money to play with per customer.
I don't get the impression that TVR are ready for a big leap just yet. Better to go for slower organic growth and concentrate on getting it right in their existing market. If they can spin off a company that doesn't take their eye off the ball in the UK, then they have little to loose. But that seems like an unlikely proposition to me.
Well one thing that could be done with TVR in the USA is what Caterham 7 and Ultima Cars do. Apparently, sending a car sans engine and in a slightly dissasembled form will bypass DOT standards. But you must then put in a EPA approved engine if in a state that requires emission tests. And in Cali they are very strict on the specs like the exhaust header must be What you can't do is send a non epa engine through customs. But if it were already here (in the US) it could be street legal in some states.
Using a partner to assemble the vehlcles would be best. Penske??
Using a partner to assemble the vehlcles would be best. Penske??
I guess you can add to your list the Dare (Ginetta) G4.
How does Ginetta/Dare Caterham Morgan manage to pull this off ( making cars for the USA) and why hasn't TVR tried?
My guess is that TVR is bigger than Caterham, Morgan, Ginetta, Ultima but not quite big enough to do it with a splash...
How does Ginetta/Dare Caterham Morgan manage to pull this off ( making cars for the USA) and why hasn't TVR tried?
My guess is that TVR is bigger than Caterham, Morgan, Ginetta, Ultima but not quite big enough to do it with a splash...
I am glad that Caterham, Ginetta, Morgan and Lotus are able to sell their products here in the USA. TVR really has the look to be a significant player--especially since I'm calculating their price in the Carrera range. I don't want to see myself coming and going--with the TVR I know I will be unique!
I hope TVR continues to make progress regarding LHD--it seems pretty obvious that car companies need to engineer for the global marketplace--or use engines that are for the global marketplace.
I hope TVR continues to make progress regarding LHD--it seems pretty obvious that car companies need to engineer for the global marketplace--or use engines that are for the global marketplace.
Alex said: I know, but the quality of the cars is simply not good enough for the US market. Wherever they are made.
What twaddle. TVR's build quality may not be perfect but that didn't stop companies like Ferrari, Lotus, Lamborghini, Aston Martin, Maserati, etc... from succeeding quite nicely in the US.
Also, the BMW M3 hasn't exactly got a squeaky-clean rep as far as reliability goes. But that doesn't stop people buying them.
There's no such thing as either a perfect car or a perfect car maker. People who rag on TVR for its build-quality are just trying to come up with excuses to justify not owning one.
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