Overfinch into administration.
Overfinch into administration.
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Discussion

Dodgey_Rog

Original Poster:

2,022 posts

284 months

Thursday 11th November 2010
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Just heard that Overfinch has gone into administration? Apparently due to "one off costs" which had a massive effect on cash flow. http://www.am-online.com/news/story/?nID=42903000

Slightly interesting is the fact they recently launched a new Land Rover dealership and one of the people behind it was Ben Samuelson of TVR fame.

Anyone know anything more or is it a slick accountant playing the game?

eliot

11,988 posts

278 months

Thursday 11th November 2010
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Hardly going to be missed is it? For the last 5 years they have been knocking out tat.

agent006

12,058 posts

288 months

Thursday 11th November 2010
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I presume the market for tarted up and slightly quicker RangeRovers shrank when LR started making the same themselves.

DonkeyApple

67,041 posts

193 months

Thursday 11th November 2010
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I guess there is a finite number of Russians, footballers, hookers and property developers.

I guess, in hindsight, their days were numbered when RR started supercharging the engines and smartening up the interiors leaving OF with just body kits and a few odds and sods.

Pinning pretty much your whole business on one brand, a brand which was steadily making inroads into your range must have been hard.

Relying on a client based who lived solely off their credit cards can't have been easy either.

Thoughts to the staff, although maybe Kahn or similar will bag the brand and other parts.

Tyre Smoke

23,018 posts

285 months

Thursday 11th November 2010
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Sad, but inevitable when I own a RRS S/c. Something in years gone by would have been an Overfinch.

wavey

DanS

1,146 posts

308 months

Friday 12th November 2010
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They should be flying. It is essentially the same space as mansory and Kahn both of whom are flying. I hope for them they get picked up by JLR

oilburner

21 posts

249 months

Friday 12th November 2010
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DanS said:
They should be flying. It is essentially the same space as mansory and Kahn both of whom are flying. I hope for them they get picked up by JLR
They are. Counter intuitively, that's probably why they're in administration. Think of it more as 'restructuring'. They've grown too quickly perhaps, overstretched the cash flow and gone pop. This should attract new investment with the muscle to move the company forward. Maybe JLR? Maybe Private equity? Maybe a high net worth petrol-head who reads these forums?! Who knows? Either way, it's a great opportunity for someone with the means to acquire a fantastic brand with an existing portfolio of products.

eliot

11,988 posts

278 months

Friday 12th November 2010
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Just looked on their site, in the histrory section all they have done since 2004 is introduce some wheels and body kit.

I used to own a 1980's FF/Schuler Range rover classic - never realised that it was essentially an "overfinch". Was going to convert it into a dakar - but it was too nice to break so I sold it.

oilburner

21 posts

249 months

Friday 12th November 2010
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eliot said:
Hardly going to be missed is it? For the last 5 years they have been knocking out tat.
From the man who drives this...

'nough said.


eliot also said:
"Just looked on their site, in the histrory section all they have done since 2004 is introduce some wheels and body kit."

The above image explains your myopia. Since 2007 there have been several body kits actually. All engineered in injection moulded thermoplastics (£1m investment) by the way, not GRP 'tat'. It takes JLR themselves 2 years to do something similar. Several alloy wheels. Interiors including a full center console with integrated fridge (proper fridge, not just a thermo-electric cool box) not to mention the Holland and Holland. All in 3 years from an outfit of some 20 employees? Pretty good going I'd say.

And before you ask about 'engine upgrades' etc. They still do that stuff if asked to but, as already pointed out by others, what's the point when the standard vehicle is so good? Particularly if it doesn't make any money. The market has moved on and the reason Overfinch have made it this far (with a bright future with some investment) is because they've moved with it. It's not about performance or engineering anymore. It's about Luxury and individualism. Even Range Rovers own marketing direction proves that what with 2 wheel drive and Victoria Beckham. We may not like it, but it's a fact.


Pigfarmer3

191 posts

229 months

Friday 12th November 2010
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Anyone else not understanding where this idea that the Evoque is a 'good looking car' is coming from. I find it horrific to look at (although not seen it in person).

Anyway a sad loss to the industry if they find no savior. I personally was going to see if they would consider 'Overfinching the LSE when my current engine starts to give up the ghost (or whenever I had a spare chunck of cash lying around I have no idea what to do with wink)

Your absolutely right. They moved with market desires and provided them; the company name is more prominent that any of your Khans, etc. The vast majority of people will know what an OF is even if they aren't petrolheads, how many would know Khan?

Perhaps the pure breeds will be upset with their lawdy bodykits and re-shaping, they are not to my taste, but if people want them then someone will supply. People don;t spend 70K on a new car these days and them plug in another 5/10% in and expect to have a bog standard looking item and current fads are such that brash is beautiful.

Good luck to them finding a bailer...

on another note I always smile when I see an extra-curricular new Rangie driving against me as it constantly reminds me: I made the right choice with the LSE!

oilburner

21 posts

249 months

Friday 12th November 2010
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Pigfarmer3 said:
Anyway a sad loss to the industry if they find no savior. I personally was going to see if they would consider 'Overfinching the LSE when my current engine starts to give up the ghost (or whenever I had a spare chunck of cash lying around I have no idea what to do with wink)
I might know of an individual who may be selling his 570Ti Classic. It's a write off in exceptional pre accident condition. All the Overfinch stuff is unaffected so it would make a great donor for you LSE. Just a thought!

DonkeyApple

67,041 posts

193 months

Friday 12th November 2010
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Pigfarmer3 said:
Anyone else not understanding where this idea that the Evoque is a 'good looking car' is coming from. I find it horrific to look at (although not seen it in person).

Anyway a sad loss to the industry if they find no savior. I personally was going to see if they would consider 'Overfinching the LSE when my current engine starts to give up the ghost (or whenever I had a spare chunck of cash lying around I have no idea what to do with wink)

Your absolutely right. They moved with market desires and provided them; the company name is more prominent that any of your Khans, etc. The vast majority of people will know what an OF is even if they aren't petrolheads, how many would know Khan?

Perhaps the pure breeds will be upset with their lawdy bodykits and re-shaping, they are not to my taste, but if people want them then someone will supply. People don;t spend 70K on a new car these days and them plug in another 5/10% in and expect to have a bog standard looking item and current fads are such that brash is beautiful.

Good luck to them finding a bailer...

on another note I always smile when I see an extra-curricular new Rangie driving against me as it constantly reminds me: I made the right choice with the LSE!
There was only one guy left there from the days of doing the engine conversions and he was about as much use as a chocolate teapot, so rest assured they wouldn't have been able to do anything for you.

Racing Green had a very bent OF that was due to go on Ebay for parts, apart from being shaped like a banana it was in good condition. Might be worth seeing if they still have it?

Bish

809 posts

231 months

Friday 12th November 2010
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Have Overfinch not been through several different owners over the last 3 or 4 years?

agent006

12,058 posts

288 months

Friday 12th November 2010
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oilburner said:
From the man who drives this...

'nough said.
From the man who lists no cars in his profile...

'nough said.

Jam Spavlin

909 posts

209 months

Saturday 13th November 2010
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With any luck they will be consigned to the history books. They went down hill once they stopped droping the yank motors in and went all max power/gangsta rapper.

dwspirit

629 posts

191 months

Saturday 13th November 2010
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http://www.newspress.co.uk/public/ViewPressRelease...

Only a month since this announcement; very sad because Overfinch have done some fine work.

eliot

11,988 posts

278 months

Saturday 13th November 2010
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Jam Spavlin said:
With any luck they will be consigned to the history books. They went down hill once they stopped droping the yank motors in and went all max power/gangsta rapper.
Indeed. The early big engined Overfinch products are (and remain) desirable cars. Personally I would feel a bit of a knob driving round in a modern overfinch running on daft wheels and a body kit.

Shaw Tarse

31,836 posts

227 months

Saturday 13th November 2010
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Bish said:
  Saturday 5th December 2009
It is up for £26,500. I used to work here when it was Hunt and Keal then Bramley of Kensington. Know Graeme well and went and had a look at this on Friday. It was in lovely condtion and really benefits from the Overfinch re-spray as the paint is very 'deep'. I also love the fact there is not one piece of Overfinch badging.........the only way you can tell (other than the noise) is the slightly wider tyres and drilled front brakes. I think it is a REAL shame Overfinch are not making cars like these anymore........stop making bloody dreary body kits and get back to you engineering roots!

.
Taken from another thread, they should have listened.

Trommel

20,423 posts

283 months

Saturday 13th November 2010
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When the L322 was launched it was always going to be more involved to do an engine swap (looking at Overfinch's wiring efforts on the older cars it was probably for the best) and the torque capacity of the original gearbox was apparently a limitation. After the 580S (which was a bit half-hearted for the above reasons) it was downhill all the way.

eliot

11,988 posts

278 months

Saturday 13th November 2010
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I wonder if LR would of assisted them with developing proper engine upgrades from the electronics point of view (Like Alpina for example) - as without that support or having someone extremley clever with the electronics you are going to struggle.