RE: 'TVR Remanufacturer' Faces Legal Threat

[Dodgey_Rog]

I think the decision should have been alot sooner, to slim down the operation to save the heavy overheads, but Wheeler knew he had a buyer in sight and why be the bad man when you're successor can take the fall, and by christ did he.

NS could have salvaged something from what he bought, he had a dedicated workforce, passionate and enthusiastic customers, he just went about it the Russian way. It might work with football clubs, but it certainly doesn't work with niche sportscars. If he's got any sense, he'll walk away with a £20+ million headache and a rather expensive lesson in business, but as with most things, this guy has a trick up his sleeve and i'd be damned if i'd play poker against him, he just doesn't give anything away!

I'm looking forward to seeing how this pans out, with great interest. Still doesn't stop me wanting a T350 though, still think its a beautiful car.....

[TVR_owner]

Dodgey_Rog said:

TVR_owner said:

Dodgey_Rog said:

TVR_owner said:

If it was UK built of course, but I dont see a Sagaris at 44k being worth a punt..it will be half baked tosh.

OK then, i'll sell you one for £90k if you like?

TVR built a very good car that could be bought new for 50k in 2005, they lost money on them. I think for the 44k suggested it would be very inferior product. My statement was intended to prompt that line of thought.....so what was point of your comment, have I missed something very subtle???

Quite the contrary, TVR made cars for £50k and made a profit on them, they just didn't sell enough of them, i saw the accounts.

There was nothing sinister in my post, its only a fact that people moaned because TVR didn't make a car cheap enough, even at £50k there weren't many takers, then when the price goes up to nearly £100k, people moan because its too expensive. Don't get me wrong, i'm a TVR man, always will be, but if i can buy a new TVR that gives a similar level of enjoyment as the last generation did, i don't really care where its built, i'd prefer it if it was the UK, but as long as it sticks to the core values thats made them what they are the past 50 years, then good luck to them.

I guess as someone who bought quite a few new T cars, I was happy enough top pay the price.

I dont see anyone building the same quality of car that they turned out in 2005 for a price tag of 38 or 44K and making a profit, given that most folk are in business for profit, then something would need to change (and if it's got some cheap Yank V8, then its not a Sagaris), hence my comment about a car being built to that price being tosh.

[fatbutt]

Dodgey_Rog said:

I think the decision should have been alot sooner, to slim down the operation to save the heavy overheads, but Wheeler knew he had a buyer in sight and why be the bad man when you're successor can take the fall, and by christ did he.

NS could have salvaged something from what he bought, he had a dedicated workforce, passionate and enthusiastic customers, he just went about it the Russian way. It might work with football clubs, but it certainly doesn't work with niche sportscars. If he's got any sense, he'll walk away with a £20+ million headache and a rather expensive lesson in business, but as with most things, this guy has a trick up his sleeve and i'd be damned if i'd play poker against him, he just doesn't give anything away!

I'm looking forward to seeing how this pans out, with great interest. Still doesn't stop me wanting a T350 though, still think its a beautiful car.....

You get that feeling too? I've been flamed a lot over the past week or so re. being actually happy that TVR may build cars again (wherever that may be) and that NS is up to something.

The marque needs to leep itself alive, even if its having bad times right now. Think ahead to another owner, what they could do...

[grahamw48]

The marque is already dead !

Three letters stuck on a car don't make a factory, a workforce and a heritage come to life.

Want to buy a ticket for a band called 'The Beagles', playing at the 'Cavern Club' next week ?

[machinehead]

Awesome Dude said:

Oxley!! What a plank, would struggle to get a job selling rock on the prom in Blackpool !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

hahahaha..too true....i would not buy sticks of rock from him! never mind an imaginary car......

[machinehead]

0to60 said:

Only way for TVR to move forward is to get rid of the Oxleys.

If I ever wanted to buy one again, I would not deal with either of the arrogant tts. They hated the whole workforce and the whole workforce hated them.

spot on !!!!! but try telling that to the russian !!

[jimroyale]

Got a Bill Of Parts list for the Tuscan from 1999 in the attic. It comes to £18.5K or there abouts. This covers the costs of building the car only, not the associated costs of running a company and employing a load of useless b4st4rds (you know who they are by now). The cost of developement is also ommited. Having said that, if you were to include those costs, you might struggle to be competetive with Booxsters for example. I believe that the individuality offered by the "TVR factor" should have been enough to overcome such challenges. P1ss poor managment in the final days of TVR's time are to be held responsible. As for a ressurection............ I recon you would need about 4.5m and access to the brand without having to pay the stupid russian the 50m he will need to feel happy with his poor skills. Watch this space!

[SEAC 520]

I wonder if anyone has wondered where the alleged 'TVR remanufacturer' is getting their donor vehicles?

I may be wrong, but I don't really see any Sagaris owners offering up their pride and joy in this manner.

Of course, the mystery of the disappearing factory (interior of Bristol Avenue) has never been solved, and it's anyone's bet how many unfinished cars there were, but it's not liable to be very many given that orders were thin on the ground at the time.

As for TVR being profitable under Wheeler or Smolenski, forget it. The only reason TVR continued to even make cars for the last two years of Peter Wheeler's reign, was that he was borrowing money from TVR Power (which was, and remains very profitable) to pay the bills.

Finally, regarding Smolenski's 'plans' (and I use the word advisedly) for new TVRs, I'll believe it when I see it. In the first place, who in their right mind is going to trust the man whe presided over the demise of TVR in the crass manner he did? Who would buy a car from such a man when you couldn't guarantee the company would even exist one nanosecond after you took delivery?

As for the cost of any new car, anything built by Gullwing (as the Russian proposes) is not liable to materialize for the price of a Euro spec Corvette. Crikey, British built 289 Cobras were running out at £45k last year, the German built car to the same spec is substantially more, as would be a decently built and specced TVR.

For me, I think we should simply turn out backs to any idea of a new TVR. As others have said before, the company died along with Bristol Avenue, and the workforce uncermoniously thrown ono the scrapheap. the only possible hope would be if Martin (Lilley) got the rights back - he was to all intents and purposes cheated out of ownership anyway. But that's another story.

[johnbear]

I can recall a TVR board director telling me that a Sagaris was taking approx 600 hours to build at the factory. His view was the situation couldn't continue and shortly after the factory closed.

[RJDM3]

johnbear said:

I can recall a TVR board director telling me that a Sagaris was taking approx 600 hours to build at the factory. His view was the situation couldn't continue and shortly after the factory closed.

600 hours is far to long for such a basic car. 400 hours build time max. Or was that 600 hours including 200 hours of tea breaks and general pissing around

Edited by RJDM3 on Friday 14th January 11:08

[darkmark07]

RJDM3 said:

johnbear said:

I can recall a TVR board director telling me that a Sagaris was taking approx 600 hours to build at the factory. His view was the situation couldn't continue and shortly after the factory closed.

600 hours is far to long for such a basic car. 400 hours build time max. Or was that 600 hours including 200 hours of tea brakes and general pissing around

I agree - I can't believe 600 hours either tbh.

[mikel003003]

[quote=grahamw48us.

TVR is dead folks...get over it.
[/quote]
i cant. just want the russian to come good and build a new car. it aint gonna happen is it?

[dinkel]

Did you see that 3000M revival a few months back?

Wikipedia says:

On February 22, 2010, a report stated that TVR is rumoured to plan a comeback with a new model set to debut at the 2010 Goodwood Festival of Speed or possibly earlier. Included in this report was the rumor that TVR would switch to using an American powerplant instead of an in-house built engine, as well as the announcement that the new model will be sold in the United States. In June 2010 German manufacturer Gullwing, said they will start producing a new car from September 2010. Gullwing are a specialist German firm and are to take a minority share in TVR. Boss Juergen Mohr said “Having been a TVR owner, I think this will be the best TVR ever,”. He also confirmed the company was planning new models, possibly with alternative drivetrains. “I can imagine everything, even electric-powered cars,” Mohr said. TVR is still owned by Russian millionaire Nikolai Smolenksy.

Octane:
http://www.classicandperformancecar.com/news/octan...

Well . . . like the above: TVR is dead.

And we know it.

[pistolar]

600 hours is far to long for such a basic car. 400 hours build time max. Or was that 600 hours including 200 hours of tea brakes and general pissing around
[/quote]

Typical Thatcher comment. How about properly production engineering the cars?

[RJDM3]

pistolar said:

600 hours is far to long for such a basic car. 400 hours build time max. Or was that 600 hours including 200 hours of tea brakes and general pissing around

Typical Thatcher comment. How about properly production engineering the cars?

No just a comment from someone who knows a thing or two about these things.

[grahamw48]

RJDM3 said:

johnbear said:

I can recall a TVR board director telling me that a Sagaris was taking approx 600 hours to build at the factory. His view was the situation couldn't continue and shortly after the factory closed.

600 hours is far to long for such a basic car. 400 hours build time max. Or was that 600 hours including 200 hours of tea brakes and general pissing around

Pity they can't spell...loses credibility.

[Kellsboro Jack]

Looks like this type of offering has resurfaced again:

http://www.jameslist.com/advert/198411/for-sale-tv...

Amazing a 2011-edition (!) Sargaris with left-hand-drive and US duties paid.

[clive f]

the rear end looks nice though with the carbon cans.

[dpd3047]

This has been going on for years replicas of cobra`s vipers ect i cant see them being able to do anything about this, if you want to make a copy of a sag or tuscan ect you could and rebadge it, Al Melling did it with his griffin i think that was the name and as for Oxley, Nicks yes man he`s a useless as a used tube of dinosaur repelent and a one legged man at an arse kicking party.

[clive f]

so he`s not on your christmas card list then Dave