What is happening at Noble?
Discussion
gizard said:
m12_nathan said:
...in those days we had Lee telling owners they couldn't drive, glory days indeed.
I remember that ... 
Mind you, he did then invite us to the Noble Christmas party where we got completely siht-faced
Happy days.edited for spelingo
Edited by goodlife on Friday 31st August 18:29
Why does reasonable speculation turn to ugly debate ? The longer the thread goes on the uglier it gets. Nothing that Noble have said over the past few months has proven false. There is not much in the public domain but many of you will have spoken with Noble. As far as I am concerned they are on schedule unless their predictions prove false. They are aware of past predictions (M14/M15) and are being cautious. I still don't doubt the arrival of the new car(s) - I just wish the waiting list was shorter. I continually scan for an alternative just in case but there is nothing available - who wants an R8 ????
Wantanewnoble said:
Why does reasonable speculation turn to ugly debate ? The longer the thread goes on the uglier it gets. Nothing that Noble have said over the past few months has proven false. There is not much in the public domain but many of you will have spoken with Noble. As far as I am concerned they are on schedule unless their predictions prove false. They are aware of past predictions (M14/M15) and are being cautious. I still don't doubt the arrival of the new car(s) - I just wish the waiting list was shorter. I continually scan for an alternative just in case but there is nothing available - who wants an R8 ????
Why does it get ugly? Because people care about the cars. The fire continues to burn despite the lack of cars and information. But starve it of "controlled" fuel and it will suck in whatever is around - conjecture, rumour, half-truths or conspiracy theories.IMHO if Noble had employ some sort of communications specialist all this could have been avoided. Had this been my brief (and assuming an intention still to produce a higher-priced vehicle), off the top of my head I would have (in no particular order) considered:
- arranging for spy shots of massively-disguised mules to be taken
- inviting current and prospective owners to round-table discussions at the factory on what they like and don't like (and made sure these were known about)
- explicitly inviting suggestions through the website with a prize offered for any that are taken up
- making proper public disclosure (perhaps over a period of time) of the new owners and what makes them a good thing for Noble
- setting up some sort of formal owners' club
- setting up a factory upgrades programme to allow existing owners to upgrade their cars to a set number of specifications
None of these things would cost very much money to get going. They would all show that the factory is alive and well, and help to maintain and build a relationship with some of the better-off members of the existing owner group, precisely the sort of people who are intended to buy the new car.
Why would I do this if the waiting list is so full? Well in part because it provides an excellent way of getting an accurate handle on the true demand out there for the new car. 1-200 deposits is great, but that doesn't tell us what the ongoing demand is likely to be, which in turn makes it difficult to plan to produce the optimum number of cars to get the best return for the investors (which in turn secures the factory for the next generation of models).
Anyhow, there we are. I'm not going to say Noble are wrong, and I wish them every success. But few new manufacturers have been able to start up and (a) shift 1000 or more units of a pocket-Supercar, nor (b) build up such a loyal following in such a relatively short period of time. The next phase IMHO should have been consolidation and growth, to secure the future of the brand. That's the part I don't see in much evidence.
AMG Merc said:
skwdenyer said:
IMHO if Noble had employ some sort of communications specialist all this could have been avoided.
AFAIR they did, his name is Peter Boutwood and he has been in position for one year. During this time he has issued zero communications of value.skwdenyer said:
None of these things would cost very much money to get going. They would all show that the factory is alive and well, and help to maintain and build a relationship with some of the better-off members of the existing owner group, precisely the sort of people who are intended to buy the new car.
According to the postings of some on here current owners are not Noble's future sales targets - crazy as it sounds (and I disagree).Joust seems, from what I can tell, to fall into that category. But then he's owned other Nobles...
goodlife said:
gizard said:
m12_nathan said:
...in those days we had Lee telling owners they couldn't drive, glory days indeed.
I remember that ... Mind you, he did then invite us to the Noble Christmas party where we got completely siht-faced
Happy days.edited for spelingo
Edited by goodlife on Friday 31st August 18:29
- Impressive as in it cost even more to sort out!
Edited by gizard on Monday 3rd September 10:45
AMG Merc said:
AFAIR they did, his name is Peter Boutwood and he has been in position for one year. During this time he has issued zero communications of value.
Is this the same Peter Boutwood who is a designer (does race liveries, helmets, and so on), who used to race with Ralt in F3, etc.? Appears to have started out designing stage wear for Bob Dylan and David Bowie?In that case (and I'm very open to be being wrong on this one) PR doesn't seem to be one of his usual skills. But of course there may just be a different Peter Boutwood!
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