TVR According to Autocar

[bridgdav]

Did he get most of his information from the ramblings on PH over the last few weeks....?

It seems that most of the things mentioned have been debated on here...?

Has he said anything new or are any of his comments a revelation...?

[PetrolTed]

Much has been made of the '£15m' that NS paid for TVR. I'd very much like to know where this figure has come from. Personally I believe it was wild speculation that has become 'fact' through usage.

[cafcfan]

Too many similarly priced models? That'll be from mid £30k for a Tamora to, what, £75k for a Typhon...umm, now let me get my Ford price list out....
Gave up reading Autocar years ago, there's only so many cliches of the "interior like being in a gentlemen's club" ilk one can stand.

[griffman]

mmmm and how much money did ford and vauxhall loose last year, when tvr made approx £400,000 profit!

[gingerprince]

3. Sub-30 thousand pound model needed to boost volume and profits.

Am I the only one that thinks if this happens then the marque will lose some of its awe?

Right now TVR's are a rare site, and people enjoy it when one passes. If there are "cheap" TVR's built, and they sell a lot, the reactions will be "oh look, there's ANOTHER one of those big MX5 type TVR things, yawn"...

[and]

Autocar alway had a problem with TVR.

If you remember the "British Car Industry" series earlier in the year. Great detailed and interesting articles on Caterham, Noble, Westfield, Morgan et al.

Then they get to TVR. A poxy 3 column regurgitated pile of old crap, no pictures of the new models, no inside scoops. Load of blcks, I think their relationship with TVR management is a bigger problem than their views on the cars.

Remember their best-handling day (not the one just gone), and the T350 toasting just about everything on lap-time ? Yet no TVR in this years handling issue. Political rubbish. Mind you TVR could learn a thing or two about PR, Autocar is the biggest single generator of ammo for the TVR bashers I know.

[900T-R]

Except for 3) - always better to drive the profit per unit up than to dilute the marque's core values, especially in this market - and part of 11) - he's got a point about the wiring looms, but bought-in engines would be a serious retrograde step IMO - I think the analysis is spot on. Also bl**dy obvious to anyone who knows a little about TVR and the automotive industry, so 'fascinating' would not be my description.

[swilly]

Autocar said:

1. Technical, management and production problems need fixed. All problems need fixing 2. Too many similarly priced models. If you understand TVR's you understand that these cars are not similar at all. Take the Griff 500 and Chim 500. Practically the same model. But do the owners think so. Check out the forums and you will see these cars are considered fundamentally different 3. Sub-30 thousand pound model needed to boost volume and profits. This is going down the route of BMW and Merc, which has resulted in their drop in prestige and reputation. 4. Cars need less nervous steering, more progressive handling. If you cant drive it dont. I have no problems, in fact it suits my relaxed and considered method of driving 5. Use new chassis technology - probably bonded alloy. Possibly, but how does this benefit cheaper prices 6. TVR's reputation for poor reliability damaging; difficult to shake off. Stop going on about it in your magazine then dimwit 7. Estimate of 60 County Court judgements against TVR. So 8. Time for new style of management. The current style of management has produced the best cars TVR have ever produced, and IMHO amongst the best cars in the world 9. Employ experienced production, engineering and marketing execs. Oh gawd elp us. This guy wants to turn TVR in to a faceless design/build by committe company like GM or Ford. No thanks 10. Build new state-of-the-art factory to help improve quality. Yup 11. Too many in-house made components: eg, wire looms, and AJP. Standard components can come from quality external suppliers, but engines should remain internal 12. Productivity of two cars per man per year too low. possibly 13. Stabilising home market sales urgent. (500 or less this year.) Stable constant sales are what TVR need 14. New EEC Low Volume Type Approval will open markets there. Yup 15. Leave USA sales drive until late in decade. Yup 16. Institute a more professional approach to sales outlets. yup 17. Establish a dealer council. yup 18. Profits of five million a year needed to cover today's investment. Dont kow Throughout the article there's implied ackowledgement TVR are what they are because they do not conform to industry norms, but if they wish to exist years from now they need to employ the standards and practices of other car companies. I would suggest they need to structure production, and delivery, but design and concept needs to left wild and untamed to guarantee that passes onto the cars. Can you see GM, Ford, BMW, Merc building a car like a Tuscan

[mrmaggit]

GM did build the Prowler. Shame they put such a poor engine in it.

[madbadger]

No one will suggest that GM turn the entire production over to various incarnations of the prowler though.

There are lots of problems with mass producing cars too, but TVR go against this trend spectacularly, which is pretty much what gives then their niche slot.

[N17 TVR]

los Angeles said:

SMOL: This is my private number. Where did you get it from? AUTO: From someone. I can't say whom. I'm hoping we can talk about TVR. SMOL: If you won't tell me I can't talk to you. Goodbye. >> Edited by los Angeles on Friday 13th August 09:40

Good for him, typical press intrusion into peoples privacy.

Ring his PA/Office and make an appointment.........

[Guy Humpage]

mrmaggit said:

GM did build the Prowler. Shame they put such a poor engine in it.

The Plymouth Prowler was a product of the Chrysler Corporation.

[wi11iam]

[quote=swilly]
[quote=Autocar]
6. TVR's reputation for poor reliability damaging; difficult to shake off. Stop going on about it in your magazine then dimwit

[mrmaggit]

Guy Humpage said:

mrmaggit said: GM did build the Prowler. Shame they put such a poor engine in it. The Plymouth Prowler was a product of the Chrysler Corporation.

So there's a difference?

[whatever]

TVR already make sub-30K "entry-level" models. They're called "used".

They help support all those people who buy brand-new and help the factory by being a ready outlet for supplying spares (when the factory can actually supply them, that is).

TVR making a "cheap" model would be a poor decision, imho.

[BT52]

"2. Too many similarly priced models"

Totally agree. Wish they would stop restyling and reshaping the same car over and over all the time.

Typhon is the only real new TVR since the Tuscan and the only one that isn't a similar price to all the others.

Mark

[mrmaggit]

Go and have a look at your local Ford or Vauxhall garage then. Talk about variations on a theme.

[JonRB]

BT52 said:

Totally agree. Wish they would stop restyling and reshaping the same car over and over all the time.

I'm sure this has something to do with Type Approval issues. If they build too many of the same model then they'll have to crash test them etc. By "restyling and reshaping the same car over and over all the time" (as you put it) they are creating a "new" model each time so the counter gets reset to zero.

I'm sure someone will dive in and correct me, but that is my understanding of the situation.

>> Edited by JonRB on Friday 13th August 13:03

[RichB]

BT52 said:

"2. Too many similarly priced models" Totally agree. Wish they would stop restyling and reshaping the same car over and over all the time. Typhon is the only real new TVR since the Tuscan and the only one that isn't a similar price to all the others. Mark

So the T350 is too similar to the Tuscan for you? Agreed they are basically the same because they use a tubular chassis and a GRP body but then you may as well say all TVRs are the same. R...

[Alex]

I think most of the Autocar suggestions are spot-on.