Sunday Times article today on TVR
Discussion
For those of you who don't get the Sunday Times, or for those that haven't read the Business Focus (page 3.5), there is a full-page article entitled 'TVR Tsar Roars Off'. A brief summary of TVR under NS but stating that he may have 2 obstacles to overcome: getting past the 'strict rules' coveral the disposal of (loss-making) businesses and the cost of redundancy/holiday pay.
I will make no personal comment, as I'm not happy.
Julian
I will make no personal comment, as I'm not happy.
Julian
Perhaps Autocar, EVO and Top Gear are all playing the gentleman's game before actually looking for some historical truth and evidence prior to doing anything other than believing press releases from motoring companies!!!!!!
For certain some of those journalist staff are not that easily hoodwinked.
It will be an interesting week, one thing to try and minimise debt liability, another to shift that to the UK Govt or to deflect a British journalist.
Speaking of which where is Andrew English, he used to be into this sort of thing and he has the correct name for it!!
For certain some of those journalist staff are not that easily hoodwinked.
It will be an interesting week, one thing to try and minimise debt liability, another to shift that to the UK Govt or to deflect a British journalist.
Speaking of which where is Andrew English, he used to be into this sort of thing and he has the correct name for it!!
nelly1 said:
Article here...
Article said:-
The timing could not have been more cruel. For years, the workforce at TVR, the Blackpool-based maker of iconic, muscular sports cars, had been cut and cut again. Staff knew the company was in crisis. But on the Friday before Christmas came the final, devastating blow.
The 200 workers who remained from a labour force that had once numbered almost 1,000 were told that their employer was in administration. Salaried staff would not be paid their wages for December. Nobody would receive the holiday pay they had been banking on to carry them through Christmas and New Year. TVR had reached the end of the road in Britain.
Just finished reading the article. At last, a factual report on the sad suituation.
Boyish enthusiasm and " nouveau riche loadsamoney" are a poor substitute for wordly business experience. Mr Wheeler must be chuckling over his cornflakes.
Still reckon that the TVR brand name is too valuable to die. Interesting times ahead.
Sincerely hope that N.S. does not run away from his legal obligations to the workforce. Alas, the fact that he has decamped to Austria is not a good sign.
Boyish enthusiasm and " nouveau riche loadsamoney" are a poor substitute for wordly business experience. Mr Wheeler must be chuckling over his cornflakes.
Still reckon that the TVR brand name is too valuable to die. Interesting times ahead.
Sincerely hope that N.S. does not run away from his legal obligations to the workforce. Alas, the fact that he has decamped to Austria is not a good sign.
Ben Laurance said:
From the ruins of SBS-Agro, Alexander launched a new banking group, First OVK. In 2003, this was in effect handed to Nikolai, who declared it would triple in size to 1,500 branches. That ambition was never achieved. Just two months later, he sold the business for an estimated £80m.
That sounds remarkably similar to what foreskins said when he took over TVR!
Looks to me like hes his fathers son without a shadow of a doubt!!!!!
Its sad to say, but that is the best article I have seen surrounding this situation.
My only wish is that the name TVR, the production, design & development all find their way back to Britain and Foreskins gets the chop (figuratively speaking!)
b2tus said:
Just finished reading the article. At last, a factual report on the sad suituation.
Boyish enthusiasm and " nouveau riche loadsamoney" are a poor substitute for wordly business experience. Mr Wheeler must be chuckling over his cornflakes.
Still reckon that the TVR brand name is too valuable to die. Interesting times ahead.
Sincerely hope that N.S. does not run away from his legal obligations to the workforce. Alas, the fact that he has decamped to Austria is not a good sign.
Boyish enthusiasm and " nouveau riche loadsamoney" are a poor substitute for wordly business experience. Mr Wheeler must be chuckling over his cornflakes.
Still reckon that the TVR brand name is too valuable to die. Interesting times ahead.
Sincerely hope that N.S. does not run away from his legal obligations to the workforce. Alas, the fact that he has decamped to Austria is not a good sign.
Austria is in the EU and NS can be bought back to the UK to account for his shady dealings! Hopefully he will be treated in the same way as Ken Lay and Enron.
Good to see the debacle getting some national press and with a definite anti NS tone.
Thing is he has gone to some length to protect the name and the brand for himself whilst single handedly devaluing it anyway through all his other actions. Naming part of it Blackpool Automotive and saying "Wasn't me who screwed em guv, twas the guys who I sold it to" and "But it isn't TVR it is just the production bit" aren't really going to fool anybody. What company in the right mind is going to have contracts with him now that would leave them in anyway exposed, no-one will want to be just another creditor dealing with administrators the next time he turns the same old trick learnt from his father.
Clear and concise reasons for your actions, explaining that they are in the best interests of the company (moving a assembly abroad etc) would be far better, might hurt for a bit but people would get over it. Not many will begrudge someone wanting to try to make a profit, they will understand you can't just keep subsidising a business indefinitely. What they will begrudge is underhand tactics and treating the workers to a nice swift kick in the bollox, just before Christmas and after keeping them hanging on for months on end with lies and misinformation.
Thing is he has gone to some length to protect the name and the brand for himself whilst single handedly devaluing it anyway through all his other actions. Naming part of it Blackpool Automotive and saying "Wasn't me who screwed em guv, twas the guys who I sold it to" and "But it isn't TVR it is just the production bit" aren't really going to fool anybody. What company in the right mind is going to have contracts with him now that would leave them in anyway exposed, no-one will want to be just another creditor dealing with administrators the next time he turns the same old trick learnt from his father.
Clear and concise reasons for your actions, explaining that they are in the best interests of the company (moving a assembly abroad etc) would be far better, might hurt for a bit but people would get over it. Not many will begrudge someone wanting to try to make a profit, they will understand you can't just keep subsidising a business indefinitely. What they will begrudge is underhand tactics and treating the workers to a nice swift kick in the bollox, just before Christmas and after keeping them hanging on for months on end with lies and misinformation.
I just wonder why despite out best efforts to bring his underhand behaviour to the attention of the government he has still been allowed, thus far, to get away with it. Their disinterest in some Northern car manufacturing outfit obviusly fits with their ideology, but nevertheless it stinks. I say again, it wasn't like that wen MG/Rover was in its death throes, but then there was an election on the go.
victormeldrew said:
I just wonder why despite out best efforts to bring his underhand behaviour to the attention of the government he has still been allowed, thus far, to get away with it. Their disinterest in some Northern car manufacturing outfit obviusly fits with their ideology, but nevertheless it stinks. I say again, it wasn't like that wen MG/Rover was in its death throes, but then there was an election on the go.
True, though the labour force affected (especially if you include contractors etc) was much, much larger.
At least the nationals have finally woken up to the story. Good article, well written with a solid basis on fact for once. Good old Sunday Times
DTI mandarins read the Business section too.
IlyaMuromets said:
Covers the story well, perhaps more people will appreciate the goings at the factory and the way the workforce and customers were treated.
All the best to my former work mates
All the best to my former work mates
Certainly seems to be the first business focussed articel and a good read.
Seems to imply that NS has given up on the UK but is still planning to do something with TVR from Europe, but with significantly less funds in his pocket (that are known about).
Quite sadly ironic to read this detailed report in the Sunday Times which is regrettably pessimistic/realistic (?) and to then turn to my fav car publication - EVO - and read a report which takes a very different, incredibly optimistic stance. It is a rollercoaster being an owner at the best of times, but lord nows what it is like be a employee or dealer who generally appear to be as little in the know as the general public. Sad times indeed.
Having read both Evo and S.T., I sadly believe the S.T. version of events is more accurate.
Lets just hope he is brought to account - although with this spine-less government, I very much doubt it.
..... MG/Rover - as said above, the election was the clincher with that one. Call me an old cynic, but what happened after the election...... the MG/Rover subject was dropped like a hot coal. Good old Bliar. Spin, Spin, Sugar....
Lets just hope he is brought to account - although with this spine-less government, I very much doubt it.
..... MG/Rover - as said above, the election was the clincher with that one. Call me an old cynic, but what happened after the election...... the MG/Rover subject was dropped like a hot coal. Good old Bliar. Spin, Spin, Sugar....
Starting out with an £80 million fortune is impressive but lossing £40 million in 2 yrs isn't so hot 
It going to take several more millions to get production running again.
He's never going to make a fortune with TVR so I reckon a genuine sale of the brand and IP will be on the books pretty soon. As soon as production resumes, he'll sell.
It going to take several more millions to get production running again.
He's never going to make a fortune with TVR so I reckon a genuine sale of the brand and IP will be on the books pretty soon. As soon as production resumes, he'll sell.
Edited by johnbear on Sunday 7th January 16:37
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