'Super' tuners / modding companies
Discussion
Interesting thing I reckon – likes of Mansory, Project K, Gemballa, ART etc etc. Been looking at a few of their websites of recent.
Now don’t get me wrong – I don’t necessarily condone with what car modifiers do. I used to read Max Power when I was in my mid to late teens. I’m a bit ‘past it’ now I suppose but at the end of the day, they love their cars as much as we/I do, so why not!
But, these super tuning companies like Mansory, Gemballa and Kahn etc – really intrigue me.
Was reading in a mag this month about Mansory and they’ve been going since 1989. They started out selling bits for cars like gear knobs etc and about 7 years ago started building project cars. And the rest is history! They’re flying high now – or appear to be – and carry out mods to Veyrons amongst other things. Just seems mad!
How do they make their money to get going?? That’s what I can never get my head round! Surely there aren’t such massive margins in modifying?? I remember years back a mate of mine spending a good few grand on his Ford Focus, lots of fairly tasteful mods – and then he went to PX it – and got offered less than if it was standard – which I understand – I’d think the same if I were a dealer BUT if Mansory are modifying cars at a cost of over £100k at times to the customer, then who the hell does the customer sell the car on to? And do they sell it at cost, less mods costs, less some more for the fact it’s been modded! Just can’t get my head round it!?!
Few examples:
Gemballa 911
Mansory Bentley
.jpg)
ART GL-Class
PK DB9
Now don’t get me wrong – I don’t necessarily condone with what car modifiers do. I used to read Max Power when I was in my mid to late teens. I’m a bit ‘past it’ now I suppose but at the end of the day, they love their cars as much as we/I do, so why not!
But, these super tuning companies like Mansory, Gemballa and Kahn etc – really intrigue me.
Was reading in a mag this month about Mansory and they’ve been going since 1989. They started out selling bits for cars like gear knobs etc and about 7 years ago started building project cars. And the rest is history! They’re flying high now – or appear to be – and carry out mods to Veyrons amongst other things. Just seems mad!
How do they make their money to get going?? That’s what I can never get my head round! Surely there aren’t such massive margins in modifying?? I remember years back a mate of mine spending a good few grand on his Ford Focus, lots of fairly tasteful mods – and then he went to PX it – and got offered less than if it was standard – which I understand – I’d think the same if I were a dealer BUT if Mansory are modifying cars at a cost of over £100k at times to the customer, then who the hell does the customer sell the car on to? And do they sell it at cost, less mods costs, less some more for the fact it’s been modded! Just can’t get my head round it!?!
Few examples:
Gemballa 911
Mansory Bentley
ART GL-Class
PK DB9
I'd have thought the Gemballa type of modifier might produce cars that retain at least a little of the added 'value' to the car as they are actually increasing performance but the Mansory ones I just don't understand how the buyer will shift. The only reason for buying one of those is if you have a complete and utter lack of taste and a massive desire to be 'individual'.
Edited by toast boy on Monday 25th October 10:14
£300 fibreglass bodykit, sell for £3500 plus fitting
£250 Taiwanese alloys, sell for £2500 with obligatory Italian sounding name
£200 Powerflow exhaust, sell for £1800
£40 lowering springs from ebay+ aerosol of paint, sell for £1500 for sports suspension kit.
Add to that a colourblind paint sprayer that would be un-employable elsewhere.
£250 Taiwanese alloys, sell for £2500 with obligatory Italian sounding name
£200 Powerflow exhaust, sell for £1800
£40 lowering springs from ebay+ aerosol of paint, sell for £1500 for sports suspension kit.
Add to that a colourblind paint sprayer that would be un-employable elsewhere.
Traditionally, people who had lots of money were *old money* types and people with class.
New money has brought along with it, people with naff taste and no class, the nouveau riche if you will. These sort of people like tat on their cars as well as their clothes, houses etc.
Mansory have realised there is a lot of money in stupid people with rubbish taste. Makes business sense, a fool and their money etc.......
New money has brought along with it, people with naff taste and no class, the nouveau riche if you will. These sort of people like tat on their cars as well as their clothes, houses etc.
Mansory have realised there is a lot of money in stupid people with rubbish taste. Makes business sense, a fool and their money etc.......
TheEnd said:
£300 fibreglass bodykit, sell for £3500 plus fitting
£250 Taiwanese alloys, sell for £2500 with obligatory Italian sounding name
£200 Powerflow exhaust, sell for £1800
£40 lowering springs from ebay+ aerosol of paint, sell for £1500 for sports suspension kit.
Add to that a colourblind paint sprayer that would be un-employable elsewhere.
I was thinking that. £250 Taiwanese alloys, sell for £2500 with obligatory Italian sounding name
£200 Powerflow exhaust, sell for £1800
£40 lowering springs from ebay+ aerosol of paint, sell for £1500 for sports suspension kit.
Add to that a colourblind paint sprayer that would be un-employable elsewhere.
Mansory article is in this month's 'CAR' and their workshop looks nothing special - however, they own 2 £250k carbonfibre 'carbonfibering' machines (sorry not sure on the terminology but think it's some type of oven) with another on order.
They were saying that some mod jobs cost up to £300k.
Perhaps when they're working on a Bentley, that £300k cost allows for a new car in case they f**k-up the first one?!
t to people with no taste.I wonder how much he paid for that Rangey.
As far as i can see:
- Spray original wheels pink = £200
- Spray grilles and vents and badges pink = £100 (by guy who does wheels)
- Retrim seats and no doubt some other area of car i.e. dash etc = £1000
- Pink fluffy dice = £2.99 local car accessory shop or £8.99 halfords
- Black rear lights = £200
Cost = £1502.99 (or £1508.99 if he went to Halfords).
I bet he paid about £5k for the work.
In fact, car new say £50k.
Tuner buys a load so gets a good discount = £45k.
Tuner takes £45k car and does £1500 of work on it = £46.5k.
Tuner sells car @ £50k+5k = £55k. Profit = £8.5k. Not bad for a couple of days driving car to wheel refurber and interior trimmer (and of course Halfords on the way back).
As far as i can see:
- Spray original wheels pink = £200
- Spray grilles and vents and badges pink = £100 (by guy who does wheels)
- Retrim seats and no doubt some other area of car i.e. dash etc = £1000
- Pink fluffy dice = £2.99 local car accessory shop or £8.99 halfords
- Black rear lights = £200
Cost = £1502.99 (or £1508.99 if he went to Halfords).
I bet he paid about £5k for the work.
In fact, car new say £50k.
Tuner buys a load so gets a good discount = £45k.
Tuner takes £45k car and does £1500 of work on it = £46.5k.
Tuner sells car @ £50k+5k = £55k. Profit = £8.5k. Not bad for a couple of days driving car to wheel refurber and interior trimmer (and of course Halfords on the way back).
Harry Enfield character "I saw you coming" springs to mind 
"Ah sir, all this tat for your car will cost £2k, however I noticed you are a footballer and I did see you coming, so how about £15k? Oh, hang on, you're Stephen Ireland aren't you? That's actually £25k. Cash? Oh that'd fine."
"Ah sir, all this tat for your car will cost £2k, however I noticed you are a footballer and I did see you coming, so how about £15k? Oh, hang on, you're Stephen Ireland aren't you? That's actually £25k. Cash? Oh that'd fine."
Dracoro said:
Harry Enfield character "I saw you coming" springs to mind
"Ah sir, all this tat for your car will cost £2k, however I noticed you are a footballer and I did see you coming, so how about £15k? Oh, hang on, you're Stephen Ireland aren't you? That's actually £25k. Cash? Oh that'd fine."
"...plus income tax......plus VAT." "Ah sir, all this tat for your car will cost £2k, however I noticed you are a footballer and I did see you coming, so how about £15k? Oh, hang on, you're Stephen Ireland aren't you? That's actually £25k. Cash? Oh that'd fine."
I see how they do it now.
A well known UK 'modifier' has a RR Sport for sale, 2010/60 plate in metallic bali blue for £70k (give or take a few quid).
Most of the stuff 'featured' on the car are fairly standard.
I've just gone to LR's website and built a RRS in said spec, basic SE model (HSE/Autobiography editions not needed - crap wheels accepted as most bits like this are being changed) for £48.8k.
Now assume said modifier gets a bit of discount for buying lots per year, gets it for say 5% discount (although surely up to 10%) - call it £46k.
Add in:
- Interior = £3500 (allowed more as it's quilted, throughout)
- Badges = £200
- Gear stick = £250
- Set of wheels = £2k
I think i've been generous there?
total cost = £51,950.
Sell at £70k! Even if customer haggles down to £65k.
As well as that - they'd be able to get £500 no doubt for the set of original wheels off the car!
£15k for a small amount of work isn't bad!
Also, could build to order. There is obviously a car built somewhere as the pics are on the site BUT why outlay £51k of costs when instead you can wait for an order to come in, then start to place orders.
Easy peasy - fair play to the modifiers! Nice way to make a living!
A well known UK 'modifier' has a RR Sport for sale, 2010/60 plate in metallic bali blue for £70k (give or take a few quid).
Most of the stuff 'featured' on the car are fairly standard.
I've just gone to LR's website and built a RRS in said spec, basic SE model (HSE/Autobiography editions not needed - crap wheels accepted as most bits like this are being changed) for £48.8k.
Now assume said modifier gets a bit of discount for buying lots per year, gets it for say 5% discount (although surely up to 10%) - call it £46k.
Add in:
- Interior = £3500 (allowed more as it's quilted, throughout)
- Badges = £200
- Gear stick = £250
- Set of wheels = £2k
I think i've been generous there?
total cost = £51,950.
Sell at £70k! Even if customer haggles down to £65k.
As well as that - they'd be able to get £500 no doubt for the set of original wheels off the car!
£15k for a small amount of work isn't bad!
Also, could build to order. There is obviously a car built somewhere as the pics are on the site BUT why outlay £51k of costs when instead you can wait for an order to come in, then start to place orders.
Easy peasy - fair play to the modifiers! Nice way to make a living!
Edited by sider on Monday 25th October 10:42
Easy answer really - goes back to the sons of oil rich blokes in the middle east. If you and all of you mates have a Veyron, it's not really any better than a Saxo. Spending another few hundred grand on making it *very* unique means nobody else has a car like it, which is sort of the point.
mat205125 said:
I think that Gemballa 911 looks awesome! Must have been an interesting drive to get it up to that spot for the photo though.
Agreed on both points.There's probably a big shiney transporter parked behind the camera waiting to tow the car out of the snow and back to the mean streets.
davepoth said:
Easy answer really - goes back to the sons of oil rich blokes in the middle east. If you and all of you mates have a Veyron, it's not really any better than a Saxo. Spending another few hundred grand on making it *very* unique means nobody else has a car like it, which is sort of the point.
That, and footballists.Q: What happens if you take a chav, give him a job as a footballist and pay him £100k per week.
A: He'll turn into a rich chav buying more expensive versions of the same crap.
You can give people money but you can't buy class, as they say.
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