Merlin Sportscars
Discussion
http://www.merlinsportscars.co.uk/
I like classic roadsters and the Merlin and wonder if there is still a niche market for this type of kit ?
Some nice pictures from this site
http://www.merlin-friends.de/dasauto/index.html
I like classic roadsters and the Merlin and wonder if there is still a niche market for this type of kit ?
Some nice pictures from this site
http://www.merlin-friends.de/dasauto/index.html
I don't see much of a new Market for them apart from the high powered/performance ones like the 6cyl BMW engined marlins. The sheer number of ones you can buy second hand is huge and you don't need to worry about IVA if you wanted to rebuild it. The cost of building one from a kit will be a minimum of £6k but you can buy them for a fraction of that second hand. People tend not to build kits as fun cars nowadays, the main attraction is the performance to price ratio hence the take off of MEV and other very very light cars.
slomax said:
I don't see much of a new Market for them apart from the high powered/performance ones like the 6cyl BMW engined marlins. The sheer number of ones you can buy second hand is huge and you don't need to worry about IVA if you wanted to rebuild it. The cost of building one from a kit will be a minimum of £6k but you can buy them for a fraction of that second hand. People tend not to build kits as fun cars nowadays, the main attraction is the performance to price ratio hence the take off of MEV and other very very light cars.
You make some good points, Slomax. I hadn't really considered the second hand market, but not needing to worry about IVA is a big plus point. I'm pretty sure that Merlins have been made with Rover (and possibly US small block) V8s, so there is performance potential - especially if it were to be redeveloped to take more modern (BMW?) donor components. I would suspect that any Sierra based car would need to be redeveloped fairly soon, although I believe the good old NG's are still running on MGB donors!!!Frankthered said:
You make some good points, Slomax. I hadn't really considered the second hand market, but not needing to worry about IVA is a big plus point. I'm pretty sure that Merlins have been made with Rover (and possibly US small block) V8s, so there is performance potential - especially if it were to be redeveloped to take more modern (BMW?) donor components. I would suspect that any Sierra based car would need to be redeveloped fairly soon, although I believe the good old NG's are still running on MGB donors!!!
I would agree that it would need to be re-engineered with a BMW engine just like Marlin and GKD have done recently, but it would give it a new lease of life.Retro roadster are having a comeback in my opinion, just look at how well Morgan is doing with the classic 4 wheeler and now with the new 3 wheeler.
I can see something like this, maybe with a sligtly updated design, for those that are not part of the track day scene.
Wiessmann with their roadster is doing really well in mainland Europe...
Excellent topic it seems to me that there is a fundamental problem with kit car production currently.
All the manufacturers I know are really struggling, but the repair/service/refurbishment specialists into kit cars seem to have an abundance of work.
In the glory days of Kit Cars back when Lotus, Rochdale, Turner, Fairthorpe, Ginetta, Davrian, etc etc were making Kit Cars there was a far lower expectation of performance (rightly at the time!)AND there were SIGNIFICANT tax advantages in buying a partly finished car and finishing it.
I remember (yes I was there) when cars were offered that could genuinely be finished in less than a week. BUT there was no IVA, vastly less bureaucracy and a much lower finishing price in relation to the price of the then production cars.
Kit Cars are expensive new.
Look at the fall in value of the secondhand kit cars like the Quantum, Duttons, Robin Hoods etc.
As I have said before this is a hobby trading business in the current economic climate. If you can afford it good luck to you.
BUT if you need to earn a living then the servicing, finishing, repair and refurbishment side may be less interesting but in my view, as an accountant with a passion for Kit cars, very much safer as a business.
All the manufacturers I know are really struggling, but the repair/service/refurbishment specialists into kit cars seem to have an abundance of work.
In the glory days of Kit Cars back when Lotus, Rochdale, Turner, Fairthorpe, Ginetta, Davrian, etc etc were making Kit Cars there was a far lower expectation of performance (rightly at the time!)AND there were SIGNIFICANT tax advantages in buying a partly finished car and finishing it.
I remember (yes I was there) when cars were offered that could genuinely be finished in less than a week. BUT there was no IVA, vastly less bureaucracy and a much lower finishing price in relation to the price of the then production cars.
Kit Cars are expensive new.
Look at the fall in value of the secondhand kit cars like the Quantum, Duttons, Robin Hoods etc.
As I have said before this is a hobby trading business in the current economic climate. If you can afford it good luck to you.
BUT if you need to earn a living then the servicing, finishing, repair and refurbishment side may be less interesting but in my view, as an accountant with a passion for Kit cars, very much safer as a business.
Again good topic and replys.
However as a owner driver of a Cortina based Marlin Berlinetta 2+2 1980 built Kit, I am sorry to here your downcast oppinions of these cars.
They capture the 1930`s feel of open air touring on a budget, unlike an Morgan exspensive trip.
There initial costs to build were up to £8,000 in the 80`s and now sell for an average third of that. But they do sell, somtimes a high £10,000. Therfor they are sorted. A good strong members club with full advise also.
My own Kit always draws onlookers and I am greatful to own a great looking if not that fast Kitcar. (It can keeps up with new Kits on bends and short streights).
It still invokes that Roaring Thirtys feel, unlike a modern kit that invokes a Kit Car feel.
Each to his/he own !.
However as a owner driver of a Cortina based Marlin Berlinetta 2+2 1980 built Kit, I am sorry to here your downcast oppinions of these cars.
They capture the 1930`s feel of open air touring on a budget, unlike an Morgan exspensive trip.
There initial costs to build were up to £8,000 in the 80`s and now sell for an average third of that. But they do sell, somtimes a high £10,000. Therfor they are sorted. A good strong members club with full advise also.
My own Kit always draws onlookers and I am greatful to own a great looking if not that fast Kitcar. (It can keeps up with new Kits on bends and short streights).
It still invokes that Roaring Thirtys feel, unlike a modern kit that invokes a Kit Car feel.
Each to his/he own !.
Gassing Station | Kit Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff