TVR sale details dribble out
Top Wiesmann boss could have been new TVR head
 Could this have been the new TVR? |
A few more details have emerged about what happened at TVR last summer, before, during and after the sale. According to a recent report in the Telegraph, Nigel Gordon-Stewart, once a senior figure at both Lamborghini and at McLaren, put in a £40 million bid for TVR, alongside a number of other top names from McLaren.
Then-owner Peter Wheeler saw the potential of selling the business, and eventually handed it to new owner Nikolai Smolenski -- presumably for a similar sum. The Telegraph's report suggests that Smolenski then took on Gordon-Stewart as managing director.
He planned to build a new breed of TVR in a state-of-the-art factory. The new types of TVR would have emissions-friendly V8s, while an outside carbon-fibre mouldings manufacturer fitted body panels, all under the same roof.
However, it appears that Gordon-Stewart and Smolenski parted company soon after and that a lawsuit is pending -- as you'd expect, few details have emerged about that. Gordon-Stewart then went on to join Wiesmann, whose new Wiesmann-Roadster MF3, already feted for its solid BMW-like build quality, has just hit the streets.
It's interesting to speculate whether Gordon-Stewart, had he survived at TVR, would -- or even could -- have developed the marque to that point. More to the point, will Smolenski achieve the goal of eliminating what most believe is TVR's biggest Achilles' heel, its reputation for uncertain reliability?
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jamesc said:
Where in the Telegraph was this report?
Go to www.telegraph.co.uk and search for "toad's new toy". Article by Andrew English
And if thats how much extra it costs for 'German build quality' then they can keep it! Almost £30k more than a T350!
>> Edited by jamiet on Monday 7th February 11:46
I think its a fantastic looking car, with build quality to match. At that price, its a bit more ££ than a TVR, definatly would be competition to an XK or Z8 if it was my money.
I am starting to be scheptical about the whole Smolenski/TVR market thing, I'm not sure where the company thinks its heading, which is not a good position to put potentiel future customers in. The newest cars off the line do seem better quality though.
Pete
. I hate to think where its all going to end, but the optimist in me thinks it will be alright, just need to improve the already poor communcations/PR.
I think a McLaren based buy out may have been better for the kudos and potential sales outside of the existing customer base. The fact that the cerb was used to develope the SLR was flattering and an indication of the direction the company could have gone IMHO.
Harry
HarryW said:I'd heard that it was more down to the fact that the Cerbera was the only logical choice, being possibly the only front-mid-engined RWD car on the market with the added bonus of being low volume & hand-made and thus ideal for radical modification.
The fact that the cerb was used to develope the SLR was flattering and an indication of the direction the company could have gone IMHO.
But, yes, it was nice to see it being used as a mule, as was seing an Ultima used as the mule during the development of the McLaren F1.
gemini said:
think it looks great
need a few more modern tweeks and a good engine - say a Beemer and whey hey!
Well, actually it has:
www.wiesmann-auto-sport.de/gttech.html
not TVR like.
The Wiesmann design is older as the new TVR Stuff.
The Wiesmann was available in the time of the griffith and chimera,long time before the T350c
was available.
But the Wiesmann is not very popular in UK,more in Germany
And boys,i love TVRs but believe me,the Wiesmann have
an extrem solid buildquality higher and better as the TVR range.
Sorry but thats the truth.
I like the Styling,Classic meets Modern High tech
of the Wiesmann.
Ah yes,the Wiesmann costs more money as an TVR and
you must wait 4 years.
It costs with all features 80-90000 euros.
los angeles said:Being the stickler for detail that you are LA you my want to reconsider that remark. The TVR Speed 6 is in no way an "old engine" ! You may not like it but an engine that has been around for 6 or 7 years cannot be considered old! Rich...
the same old models with the same old engines
los angeles said:
The point of the thread is not whether the dog's breakfast of a design Wiesmann is TVR-like or not. It's about which direction TVR is going, if any. Moleskins attends to TVR business "twice a week" in between jetting to supervise his other companies, but it's obvious to everyone and his granny that TVR needs a strong, competent engineer-designer at its head - now. What it doesn't need, if the unreliable Torygraph is to be believed, is a legal morass just as it seems on the point of a bright new "financed" future. Any transition from old practises to new is painful, but reading all this speculation while watching the same old models with the same old engines coming out of the same old factory is very dispiriting. A tighter fit to dash trim won't fix anything.
Ahem....small change of tune LA?
PS I don't think they have fixed the trim either!
what do you think of my 1954 HEALEY BN1?
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