Adrenaline Motorsport News Update

Adrenaline Motorsport News Update

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Discussion

singlecoil

33,979 posts

248 months

Saturday 19th December 2009
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andygtt said:
I lost £5k on a kit that I couldnt build and later scrapped)...
Does a tale hang thereby? Has it already been told anywhere?

neilrallying

Original Poster:

200 posts

225 months

Saturday 19th December 2009
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Hi everyone,

Can I start by saying a big thankyou to all those who have sent me personal messages over the course of the last few days. The response has been overwhelming and is truly appreciated. Indeed it even filled the webmail system on Thursday/Friday!

As promised I am replying to each and every mail individually and endeavouring to do so within the promised 48/72 hour window that I requested in my original post.

Couple of things from posts by AndyGTT, firstly he is correct ref legal position and public posts hence the personal replies to each and every individual who contacts me.

Secondly - I believe that AndyGTT lost money on a kit many years ago from a manufacturer who still exist today - albeit having undergone several changes of ownership subsequently. This was nothing to do with Adrenaline or the Murtaya which I am sure Andy will be happy to confirm (although I am also sure that now he has his own amazing build project underway he will probably not be too interested in dragging up ancient history either!).

P1doc who posts on here has a Murtaya awaiting IVA which is with Arden Automotive at Didcot. This car was presented for IVA by ourselves and failed on emissions - and I have had to write to VOSA to gain permission for Arden to represent the car on our behalf.
In addition Martin has paid Adrenaline in full for his car so there are some costs associated with the IVA re-presentation and road registration through Arden which we have to sort out to ensure that he is not financially disadvantaged through the situation. He has already been very patient as the build has run over schedule.

Once again thanks for all of the support.

Kind regards,

Neil.

Edited by neilrallying on Saturday 19th December 16:45

andygtt

8,345 posts

266 months

Sunday 20th December 2009
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neilrallying said:
Secondly - I believe that AndyGTT lost money on a kit many years ago from a manufacturer who still exist today - albeit having undergone several changes of ownership subsequently. This was nothing to do with Adrenaline or the Murtaya which I am sure Andy will be happy to confirm (although I am also sure that now he has his own amazing build project underway he will probably not be too interested in dragging up ancient history either!).
Absolutelly happy to confirm this... it was for a mid engine car no longer produced in this country and nothing even remotelly to do with Neil or the Murtaya or Adrenalin.

Im actually thinking it was inappropriate for me to even mention it.

p1doc

3,150 posts

186 months

Monday 21st December 2009
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thanks for the reply neil
martin

BMW Powered

33 posts

194 months

Monday 21st December 2009
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Guys, I can't begin to tell you how gutted I am on your behalf. Like me, I know it's the love of cars and not money that drives you. Please come over and say hi if you come to the shows... if your at Stoneleigh we'll have to down a few beers.
I truly wish all of you the best for the future... none of you deserved this.

Gulf -LS2

1,922 posts

206 months

Monday 21st December 2009
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terrible news.... i think the Murtaya is one of the best cars i have driven and the reason it is so good is due to Neil and his teams hard work and backing.

Neil, i hope things work out in the best way they can for you all, i truly think the Murt is the best thing to hit the kit car market for a long long time...... gutted.

lewis360

16 posts

214 months

Monday 21st December 2009
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sorry to hear guys! you will be sorely missed at the shows and good luck for the future and im sure we shall see you again doing another very clever design!

p1doc

3,150 posts

186 months

Tuesday 22nd December 2009
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there is still the murtaya coupe-likely on hold at moment but you never can tell
martin

Gnits

925 posts

203 months

Tuesday 22nd December 2009
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The coupe does look good!

gingerpaul

2,929 posts

245 months

Tuesday 22nd December 2009
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Very sorry to hear the news. The Murtaya is one of the most interesting kits out there in my opinion so I'm glad that at least that will continue. I wish you luck with resolving all of the issues you are currently facing.

dwcooper

12 posts

203 months

Saturday 26th December 2009
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Niel what happened you do not reply to your emails. Need help to fix my Murtaya.

singlecoil

33,979 posts

248 months

Saturday 26th December 2009
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I went to visit family in Devon for Christmas, and as I drove there, a long trek I have to make 3 or 4 times a year, I wondered how much AMS's location in Newquay almost at the other end of Cornwall affected their business. I ask this because I am also involved in the kit car business (albeit on a different level) and the option of moving is something that I hope will come up some time in the coming year.

I have links to the West Country, but I'm thinking if and when I move that I wouldn't go further in that direction than Bristol, mainly for fear that when people wanted to see the new kit I expect to have ready by summer, that by being further South West I would put people off from visiting.

I know it sounds daft worrying that somebody contemplating the purchase of a car that is going to cost as much as even the least expensive kit would balk at making a trip like that, but in my experience being in the wrong place is a big problem for any business. The phrase 'location, location' location' was originally coined in response to a question asked of some well known American businessman when asked what the threee most important things about a retail business were.

gingerpaul

2,929 posts

245 months

Saturday 26th December 2009
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I'd agree with that. It certainly won't be a selling point.

The location of the factory was an important part of my decision when I decided to build my kit car. I had no experience when I started and I wanted to know that I could hop in the car and go to the factory without it taking up a whole day. As sad as it sounds I wouldn't have considered a car from so far away for a first kit car build. I ended up about 90 minutes from the factory of my kit's factory and to be honest I wouldn't have wanted to be much further away.

gtmdriver

333 posts

175 months

Sunday 27th December 2009
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Well Dutton were based in Worthing, which is hardly the centre of the universe, but it didn't seem to hold them back at all. In their heyday they were the biggest manufacturer in the world.

Personally I feel that, in these days of rapid communication and transport, geographical location of a kit car manufacturer is not a major consideration in making my choice but talking to existing kit owners most certainly is.

ScottyOZ

60 posts

177 months

Sunday 27th December 2009
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Just a quick question. How will this effect the Toniq R as I thought Adrenaline was involved there somehow as well? I really like the Toniq and Murtaya for that matter. Was hoping to possibly build a Toniq in the next couple of years.

singlecoil

33,979 posts

248 months

Sunday 27th December 2009
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gtmdriver said:
Personally I feel that, in these days of rapid communication and transport, geographical location of a kit car manufacturer is not a major consideration in making my choice but talking to existing kit owners most certainly is.
Rapid transport,? To Newquay? You must be referring to air travel.

fuoriserie

4,560 posts

271 months

Sunday 27th December 2009
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gtmdriver said:
Personally I feel that, in these days of rapid communication and transport, geographical location of a kit car manufacturer is not a major consideration in making my choice but talking to existing kit owners most certainly is.
I agree, instead what I would consider in a kitcar manufaturer important, taking the quality of the kit for granted, a real customer service and people on the phone/internet answering for any given problem.

I guess that an owners club or a forum helps a lot when finding solutions to a problem with the kit and this would offset part of the customer service needed.





Edited by fuoriserie on Sunday 27th December 10:15

Festive Ferg

15,242 posts

259 months

Sunday 27th December 2009
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For what it's worth, I think this is just another example of why kitcars will struggle to get out of a 'cottage industry' existence.

Unless companies decide to invest heavily (and this thread is surely an indication of the issues involved THERE), a kitcar business will never succeed in 'satisfying' the demands of 'customers' of a certain mindset.

Whilst various personalities within the industry have taken the view that 'the industry' would be better off going in some way upmarket to attrcat more customers, indications, to me at least, are that these customers are unrealistic in what they feel they can expect from a kitcar company. They, in the main, want a customer service and parts availability that would shame a mainstream dealer. Well good luck with that. They whinge when the company is reticent with test-drives.

There is, understandably, a trade-off to be had. If there were vast profits to be had in marketing a car as extrordinary as a Murtaya, Riot, J15 etc then big manufacturers would do it. It seems that customers from the mainstream sector aren't happy to accept the compromises....

singlecoil

33,979 posts

248 months

Sunday 27th December 2009
quotequote all
Festive Ferg said:
For what it's worth, I think this is just another example of why kitcars will struggle to get out of a 'cottage industry' existence.

Unless companies decide to invest heavily (and this thread is surely an indication of the issues involved THERE), a kitcar business will never succeed in 'satisfying' the demands of 'customers' of a certain mindset.

Whilst various personalities within the industry have taken the view that 'the industry' would be better off going in some way upmarket to attrcat more customers, indications, to me at least, are that these customers are unrealistic in what they feel they can expect from a kitcar company. They, in the main, want a customer service and parts availability that would shame a mainstream dealer. Well good luck with that. They whinge when the company is reticent with test-drives.

There is, understandably, a trade-off to be had. If there were vast profits to be had in marketing a car as extrordinary as a Murtaya, Riot, J15 etc then big manufacturers would do it. It seems that customers from the mainstream sector aren't happy to accept the compromises....
Some very good points there.

I have a personal reason for being particularly interested in the welfare of kit car manufacturers, and I had rather hoped there would be more info on the reasons for AMS's unfortunate demise on this thread.

I understand that one of the original investors backed out, and that that caused problems, but in most businesses if more money comes in than goes out, things are basically OK, so I'm guessing that the costs were too high for the profit from the sales. Maybe more sales would have done the trick, or maybe not, if there wasn't a good enough margin on each sale. Or perhaps the set-up worked best if there were plenty of turnkey orders, and there weren't enough of those?

Festive Ferg

15,242 posts

259 months

Sunday 27th December 2009
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Ultimately, and I'm not passing judgement on Adrenaline here, 'investors' need returns to make it worth their while, so profits have to be good enough to service that.