Which kit car manufacturers are doing well?

[garethj]

I've been looking through this thread and it soon makes for grim reading. I've got an idea for a kit car but it honestly looks like I'd be trying to sell people a mangle when everyone is buying internet-equipped washer driers.

Are there any kit car companies that are doing well?

Suffolk Sports Cars seem to be still in business. There are numerous Lotus 7 clones and Cobra replicas too and a few companies are around who get around the SVA requirement by rebodying an existing sports car.

Is there anyone else that's had a long run at making kits? What are they doing differently?

I know it's difficult to find real guidance here as anyone who's doing well probably doesn't want to give away the key to their success and those who already have a business perhaps don't want other potential manufacturers coming into the market and taking away potential customers.

[garethj]

All great replies, thank you everyone so far.

Nikolai said:

OP, is your idea genuinely different or better than other kits? Kit cars can still thrive in my non-expert opinion if they offer something different to second hand 10k sports cars.

It's at the design stage right now (my day job is a design engineer so I take this bit seriously before spending my own money!) but the plan is that it will be different to most other kit cars, not compete with things like a second hand MX5 or Boxter and be easy to build and own.

rdodger said:

Ultima, Caterham, Westfield and Hawk appear to be successful kit car companies, employing a reasonable number of people.

<snip>

If it's an accurate recreation and at least as good as the original there may be a market.

Good to hear that at least some companies are selling enough to cover wages, premises etc. The accurate recreation is the area that I'm aiming for.

Even though this is only in the planning stage I'm very aware that many kit car companies have gone under and the design is where I can influence the cost most strongly. I'm trying to make something where even if I sell one, my costs are so low (except for my time) that I won't have lost anything. But it's tricky!

[garethj]

Thanks Stuart, if a forum is like a virtual pub I'd be buying you beer all night for that. I'm pretty much in line with what you've written but it's good to have it clarified by someone who knows.

1. Yes, I've got a costed bill of materials in progress already
2. Exactly my plan. The problem with tooling up for a fibreglass shell is that if nobody wants it I've spent lots of money on something that takes up half the garden. That's really what's forcing me to make it differently.
3. Working on it. I've got the concept in CAD so far, as the details get worked out it will keep getting added to the bill of materials.
4. I haven't borrowed money for a car for about 15 years (which explains why I drive disgusting old snotters) and if this turns into an "abandoned project" on ebay I don't expect it will be worth much!
5. Agreed, even when you reach a consensus on a forum there'll be others who think the exact opposite.
6. That's an interesting way of putting it. I just thought there was something wrong with me
7. Some people get keyed up seeing a part finished bodyshell on axle stands and it's sometimes a good way to build interest over time. However I agree that if it looks like the interior has lost a fight with a bear carrying some bin bags then people are unlikely to stay keen.
8. Yes, fortunately I'm never short of people to tell me it's rubbish.
9. I know straight away what skills I've got and what I lack, most engineering is really a planning exercise - whether that's skills or components.
10. It's been a while since I skimmed through it, I'll make sure it's pinned to a board at home.