TVR returning to the USA market
Discussion
Road & Track magazine (leading USA car mag') reports that,
"It could be a great comeback - in 2008. The company is about to sign with several North American dealers to import 2000 vehicles per year. Smolenski hired British power train specialist Ricardo to develop TVR's 4 litre Speed Six engine to US emissions standard, to the tune of 385 bhp and 349 lb ft of torque.
"The US market is important for us," stated Smolenski, who plans to send over both the Tuscan (estimated $90,000) and Sagaris (estimated $110,000).
"The young Russian has talked about a return to Le Mans to compete with Aston Martin and Corvette, with hopes of building 5,000 cars a year from 2011.
"Officials have yet to say where the company would move to, other than saying production would be somewhere in Europe. The best guess is Italy, rumors suggesting design firm Bertone will assemble the cars, with powertrains shipped from UK."
Well, that sounds ambitious to me. $100,000 TVR with 385 bhp selling against a $65,000 Corvette with 505 bhp, bomb-proof reliability and an impressive series of wins at Le Mans
"It could be a great comeback - in 2008. The company is about to sign with several North American dealers to import 2000 vehicles per year. Smolenski hired British power train specialist Ricardo to develop TVR's 4 litre Speed Six engine to US emissions standard, to the tune of 385 bhp and 349 lb ft of torque.
"The US market is important for us," stated Smolenski, who plans to send over both the Tuscan (estimated $90,000) and Sagaris (estimated $110,000).
"The young Russian has talked about a return to Le Mans to compete with Aston Martin and Corvette, with hopes of building 5,000 cars a year from 2011.
"Officials have yet to say where the company would move to, other than saying production would be somewhere in Europe. The best guess is Italy, rumors suggesting design firm Bertone will assemble the cars, with powertrains shipped from UK."
Well, that sounds ambitious to me. $100,000 TVR with 385 bhp selling against a $65,000 Corvette with 505 bhp, bomb-proof reliability and an impressive series of wins at Le Mans
I had heard that they were over in the US talking to dealers.
They need to sign up someone like Shelby to really add the kudos needed to kick start this brand.
The US may be the most important car market in the world for this type of car, but unless they put a double width seat in the middle and centralise the steering wheel there can't be many of our US cousins who could fit in one.
Not to mention that with everything being bigger in the US, the average pothole over there would write off a TVR or swallow it completely.
Would love to see them over there and I suspect that they would actually sell well due to their quirky heritage and mild Hollywood status.
A cheap a cool wagon to have as a fun car, esp as Corvettes still seem to have a very 'Red Neck' image over there.
They need to sign up someone like Shelby to really add the kudos needed to kick start this brand.
The US may be the most important car market in the world for this type of car, but unless they put a double width seat in the middle and centralise the steering wheel there can't be many of our US cousins who could fit in one.
Not to mention that with everything being bigger in the US, the average pothole over there would write off a TVR or swallow it completely.
Would love to see them over there and I suspect that they would actually sell well due to their quirky heritage and mild Hollywood status.
A cheap a cool wagon to have as a fun car, esp as Corvettes still seem to have a very 'Red Neck' image over there.
Edited by Horse_Apple on Wednesday 20th December 12:50
I agree with 'wedgie', that with all the things Smolenski has said one day, and done the opposite the next, one would have to take this report with a grain of salt, no matter how much we would like to see a return of TVR to the US.
When I was at the factory in July, when someone in the office saw my TVRCC-No.America shirt, they came up to me inquiring if I was one of the US dealers that was supposed to be there to talk with them.
I also received a hand written note from someone at the factory about 6 weeks ago stating that they had just signed a US dealer for 3,000 TVRs per year!
Now, I agree that this is hard to fathom when all the factory workers are being made redundant and no official announcement has been forthcoming as to any future plans for the company, other than "we're moving production to Europe".
Also, keep in mind, that Road&Track's lead time to get something in their magazine is several months and consider what has happened in the last several months regarding the company.
As has been the case all year, we'll wait and see.
When I was at the factory in July, when someone in the office saw my TVRCC-No.America shirt, they came up to me inquiring if I was one of the US dealers that was supposed to be there to talk with them.
I also received a hand written note from someone at the factory about 6 weeks ago stating that they had just signed a US dealer for 3,000 TVRs per year!
Now, I agree that this is hard to fathom when all the factory workers are being made redundant and no official announcement has been forthcoming as to any future plans for the company, other than "we're moving production to Europe".
Also, keep in mind, that Road&Track's lead time to get something in their magazine is several months and consider what has happened in the last several months regarding the company.
As has been the case all year, we'll wait and see.
Well the story I heard (from outside the UK) is that US and EU sales are planned by a EU based TVR building just 2 models. The engine was to have been re-worked by a specialist.
Part of the stroy was that all the old bits of TVR were to be sold off including the rights to old cars.
Now, what is interesting is that from a separate source in the US I have heard that TVR have been over there.
Plus, TVR have off loaded much of the old stuff to TVR Power, and I suspect that the newest rumour involving the failed Jensen group is to do with old rights, not the newest cars.
I suspect that NS could be offloading all the old bits of the company, including the enthusiasts
and planning a completely new venture aimed at a different target client base built off the back of the Sag and maybe Tuscan.
Part of the stroy was that all the old bits of TVR were to be sold off including the rights to old cars.
Now, what is interesting is that from a separate source in the US I have heard that TVR have been over there.
Plus, TVR have off loaded much of the old stuff to TVR Power, and I suspect that the newest rumour involving the failed Jensen group is to do with old rights, not the newest cars.
I suspect that NS could be offloading all the old bits of the company, including the enthusiasts
and planning a completely new venture aimed at a different target client base built off the back of the Sag and maybe Tuscan.wedgeman said:
Peter Wheeler was selling this many cars in the UK 10 years ago and without all the complicated logistics.
Back when the English wanted these cars (and there were no half price Porkers etc around), but sadly we know that they don't nowadays. Maybe the US is the last bastion of the true petrolhead?
5 USA said:
The company is about to sign with several North American dealers to import 2000 vehicles per year.
Yeah, right. Where does Mr. Smolenski plan to get the 2000 cars per year from? From the factory soon to be opened in cloud-cuckoo-land?
TVR has stopped building cars recently and now seems to specialise in producing hot air...
Horse_Apple said:
I had heard that they were over in the US talking to dealers.
What ? Drug dealers ?
Cause, that's about the only dealers over there who would be talking back to him.
With their suing culture, I'd imagine the Speed six engine, lack of air bags & ABS will go down a storm.
Edited by RUSSELLM on Wednesday 20th December 15:17
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