RE: Ariel's Simon Saunders: PH Meets

[100SRV]

Ruskins said:

How about a lightweight basic but very capable 4x4?

As in Tomcat or Tornado?

[moribund]

That's an interesting idea, with the Defender dying shortly there could be a healthy niche for a capable 4x4 with a basic cabin and sexy hardware. They wouldn't need to get hung up on expensive things like doors and low NVH either for that market.

[whizz_14]

Hi Simon, Steve Kerr here. How about a BMW C1 update in British rather than Teutonic style. Wood and leather?

[SpeckledJim]

FlossyThePig said:

I don't know where they went but Mr S should kick someone hard.

Good point. I bought a Mercedes once, and didn't use it how Mercedes intended.

Mercedes wrote me a strongly worded letter in green ink, telling me exactly how cross they were about that.

I certainly changed my tune.

(you nutcase)

[dandarez]

samoht said:

oldtimer2 said:

He has a sensible approach to his business. Contrary to what the article suggests there are, in fact, many privately owned businesses that operate successfully in their own well-defined niches.

Oh sure, there just aren't that many car manufacturers that do so.
Morgan is one, arguably Caterham is another, can you think of any more?

Yeah, DARE (UK) Ltd - been going since 1998 still quietly restoring/repairing Ginettas and building 'new' Ginetta G4s and G12s and G16s. The man at the helm Ivor Walklett, one of the founding directors of Ginetta Cars Ltd in 1958. Try and think of another Brit who has been at the helm that long - he's now in his 80s directing building a car (the G4) which was conceived in 1959 and launched in January 1961 at the Racing Car Show - now that 'is' an enviable record!

Oh, I nearly forgot, Ivor Walklett also designed the Ginetta G4!

Ginetta Cars Ltd under the Walklett brothers went from 1958-1990, and then sold the business, solvent and in profit.

DARE (UK) Ltd started business shortly afterwards and is still operating to this day.

They just don't shout about it because they don't need to!

Edited by dandarez on Thursday 6th November 00:11

[NorrisMcWurter]

Dave Hedgehog said:

thespannerman said:

Aah, if only all company owners had the same mindset....

especially TVR

a massive loss to all petrol heads that's never been replaced

Sounds like you've solved the problem of what Ariel should do next right there! A lightweight, overpowered 2 seater coupé with an interior from the year 2075.

[oldtimer2]

samoht said:

Oh sure, there just aren't that many car manufacturers that do so.
Morgan is one, arguably Caterham is another, can you think of any more?

I was referring to the fact that his business strategy of not over expanding and sticking to a well defined niche is widely used by many businesses - I was not referring just to car makers or body builders. But within the automotive industry there are low volume specialists around who seem to survive and prosper. I think the low volume super car makers fall into this category as, probably, does Hennessy in the USA.

[Oz83]

FlossyThePig said:

Two colleagues at work were given track day experiences for birthday presents. Both came back feeling disappointed with their times with an Ariel Atom. One was restricted as to which gears to use and the other with performance compared to the BMW he drove on the same day. A shame really as they should be events to promote the product.

I don't know where they went but Mr S should kick someone hard.

All of my friends who have gone on track day 'experiences' come back underwhelmed and complaining they never got the cars out of 2nd or 3rd gear.

Having said that, they loved driving the Atom, but it's not like they all went straight home and placed an order. I highly doubt track day 'experiences' generate any public sales for Ariel.

[Tuvra]

If it is not about making it any faster, I would attempt to make it look better:

It's definitely missing that "wow" factor in the looks department.

[TransverseTight]

T1GTD said:

Either a chunky funky 4 x 4 or a left field approach to the camper van

How about both.. a lightweight 4x4 adventure camper for round the world overland trips.
Cross betwen a wildcat and a VW T5, built on a tubular frame. Make it have 3+3 seats up front with central steering wheel so it can sell in left or right hand drive markets and also suitable for intercontinental driving where you'll be swapping which side you drive anyway.
Investigate the idea of a cabin that drops the roof and sides for low air resistance when on the road and lifts for standing room.

Be a lot cheaper than a boat and gets you places where the lack of wheels restricts boat access.

Put me down for the first one

[scubadude]

I've wondered in Ariel might do a single seater, a shrunken Atom with a bike engine, 350kg's with 180ish bhp, track weapon.

[jetfire]

I hope the third product will be a lightweight, Honda engined, part time 4wd, normally RWD, small farm utility vehicle with excellent & fun on road ability.

Think an Ariel version of a Subaru Brumby / 284 / BRAT successor. Proper hose out interior, with 2/3rds the power/weight of an Atom.

[Porkie]

FlossyThePig said:

Two colleagues at work were given track day experiences for birthday presents. Both came back feeling disappointed with their times with an Ariel Atom. One was restricted as to which gears to use and the other with performance compared to the BMW he drove on the same day. A shame really as they should be events to promote the product.

I don't know where they went but Mr S should kick someone hard.

He can't stop people buying his cars and using them on experience days OR what your friends expect for £99 or whatever it was.

If they wanna a real trackday experience in one. Tell them to go to Palmersport. Their Atoms are superbly prepped and amazing fun on a really fast and challenging track that suits the cars so well..... and you get to drive the balls off them!

[Simplysi]

Simon was one of my tutors at uni, very down to earth, a spade was a spade kinda of person.
The LSC has developed perfectly from Niki's and Simon's original design, I look forward to seeing #3 idea.

[jnoiles]

FlossyThePig said:

Two colleagues at work were given track day experiences for birthday presents. Both came back feeling disappointed with their times with an Ariel Atom.

They went to the wrong experience day.

I did a Palmersport one a month ago and the instructors we're very keen for us to thrash the Atoms as much as we dared.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRZaVL5CiEc

Also they've fitted theirs with sadev sequential boxes

[Streetrod]

Has anyone seen this? Basically its an Atom with a body being produced in the USA. I think it looks brill!!

http://www.radsupercars.com/rezvani-beast-performa...

[Gompo]

In case anyone missed it elsewhere:



http://www.autoblog.com/2014/12/24/ariel-nomad-rev...

[nonsense]

Ruskins said:

How about a lightweight basic but very capable 4x4?

We have a winner! Well ok, not a 4x4 but close enough.