Anyone know what PW's view is of all this?
Discussion
I would expect that he is a little sad. I can't see how he could work with the business and workers for so many years, without being sad to see things ending in this way.
Ok, so many people think that he is no saint, but at least he didn't split the company up and shaft all the workers in the process. Yes, he might be charging a huge rent, but thats just business - if the new owner is foolish enough to sign up to such a lease, who's fault is that.
Ok, so many people think that he is no saint, but at least he didn't split the company up and shaft all the workers in the process. Yes, he might be charging a huge rent, but thats just business - if the new owner is foolish enough to sign up to such a lease, who's fault is that.
RayVonn said:
I would expect that he is a little sad. I can't see how he could work with the business and workers for so many years, without being sad to see things ending in this way.
Ok, so many people think that he is no saint, but at least he didn't split the company up and shaft all the workers in the process. Yes, he might be charging a huge rent, but thats just business - if the new owner is foolish enough to sign up to such a lease, who's fault is that.
Ok, so many people think that he is no saint, but at least he didn't split the company up and shaft all the workers in the process. Yes, he might be charging a huge rent, but thats just business - if the new owner is foolish enough to sign up to such a lease, who's fault is that.
Spot on Ray
Hows Brian doing BTW
RayVonn said:
I would expect that he is a little sad. I can't see how he could work with the business and workers for so many years, without being sad to see things ending in this way.
Ok, so many people think that he is no saint, but at least he didn't split the company up and shaft all the workers in the process. Yes, he might be charging a huge rent, but thats just business - if the new owner is foolish enough to sign up to such a lease, who's fault is that.
I would think so RayVon he would be a little sad to see whats happened to his beloved TVR,also equally he will be very happy with all those millions in his bank account.Why Mr Wheeler needs more is beyond me how can he spend it in the time hes got left, you can't take it with you into the afterlife or can he.Ok, so many people think that he is no saint, but at least he didn't split the company up and shaft all the workers in the process. Yes, he might be charging a huge rent, but thats just business - if the new owner is foolish enough to sign up to such a lease, who's fault is that.
Even so I still think he's OK I wish him well. Edited by sen 18 on Sunday 7th January 16:45
Edited by sen 18 on Sunday 7th January 16:47
I think the fact remains that NS offered a price for TVR Eng Ltd to PRW that was never going to be offered by anyone that did proper due diligence research.
The offer that was, and more than a rumour, on the table from the ex McLaren chaps consortium was sort of dangling there but it required time to pull together and all the skeletons were not going to be paid for. The otehr offer was meant to be a serious cash offer, warts and all and was supposedly available at any time in the few weeks prior to NS handing over his money.
Now if the rumoured money that NS spent on buying the company, sans factory premises etc, is true then that is around 3 times more than was floating around on offer from the others.
So even allowing for PRW appearing greedy the opposite is perhaps true if you llok back. He propped up the company for probably the best part of 2 years in a drip feed of personal funds way, and TVR even made some cars and some good new developments. But whether a lack of skill, interest, further investment funds or simply age stopped him from restoring the company again no-one will ever know, even those who have worked there.
Perhaps the reason is simply that he did not really know exactly what was needed and therefore could never assess how much it would cost.
He had at the time some young children and perhaps wanted to make certain beyond any doubt that they would be (well) looked after.
Of course he could have simply shifted some assets and then backed away to certain bad PR and ill feeling. To his credit he waited to see what the potential consortium would offer and then got crazily lucky when someone bit his hand off and replaced it with cash. No one would have turned that down.
So whilst not a saint he was pretty responsible to those he employed, despite some misgivings. To quote one shop floor worker many years ago at a TVR party "PRW must be agreat guy, he continues to pay my wages and I would not employ a wanker like me, would you?"
History will doubtless show that TVR had its best days under PRW. But whilst he provided the drive and the funds and the ideas, as well as being stubbornly single minded for and on behalf of TVR, the reason for the glory era 1990 TVR cars (Griffith etc) was a small and dedicated team of those who were not restricted by previous big company experience.
Ironically this later perhaps proved to be the initial downfall; TVR needed to grow up in every way to survive modern challenges and despite some atempts to convey how to do that to PRW he either never believed it was possible, or he could never aford to do it/risk it.
Shame that the existing Directors never listened either as they obviously believe it is possible. Unfortunately they simply do not understand the market they want to be in nor the product they actually have. The two things are fundamentally incompatible.
Look forward to seeing perhaps au unbiased factual assessment in Autocar next week, they need to interview some dealers and some suppliers to get their side of the story. Ricardo would be a good starting place to get a quote I suggest.
Autocar, do your job and get to it!
The offer that was, and more than a rumour, on the table from the ex McLaren chaps consortium was sort of dangling there but it required time to pull together and all the skeletons were not going to be paid for. The otehr offer was meant to be a serious cash offer, warts and all and was supposedly available at any time in the few weeks prior to NS handing over his money.
Now if the rumoured money that NS spent on buying the company, sans factory premises etc, is true then that is around 3 times more than was floating around on offer from the others.
So even allowing for PRW appearing greedy the opposite is perhaps true if you llok back. He propped up the company for probably the best part of 2 years in a drip feed of personal funds way, and TVR even made some cars and some good new developments. But whether a lack of skill, interest, further investment funds or simply age stopped him from restoring the company again no-one will ever know, even those who have worked there.
Perhaps the reason is simply that he did not really know exactly what was needed and therefore could never assess how much it would cost.
He had at the time some young children and perhaps wanted to make certain beyond any doubt that they would be (well) looked after.
Of course he could have simply shifted some assets and then backed away to certain bad PR and ill feeling. To his credit he waited to see what the potential consortium would offer and then got crazily lucky when someone bit his hand off and replaced it with cash. No one would have turned that down.
So whilst not a saint he was pretty responsible to those he employed, despite some misgivings. To quote one shop floor worker many years ago at a TVR party "PRW must be agreat guy, he continues to pay my wages and I would not employ a wanker like me, would you?"
History will doubtless show that TVR had its best days under PRW. But whilst he provided the drive and the funds and the ideas, as well as being stubbornly single minded for and on behalf of TVR, the reason for the glory era 1990 TVR cars (Griffith etc) was a small and dedicated team of those who were not restricted by previous big company experience.
Ironically this later perhaps proved to be the initial downfall; TVR needed to grow up in every way to survive modern challenges and despite some atempts to convey how to do that to PRW he either never believed it was possible, or he could never aford to do it/risk it.
Shame that the existing Directors never listened either as they obviously believe it is possible. Unfortunately they simply do not understand the market they want to be in nor the product they actually have. The two things are fundamentally incompatible.
Look forward to seeing perhaps au unbiased factual assessment in Autocar next week, they need to interview some dealers and some suppliers to get their side of the story. Ricardo would be a good starting place to get a quote I suggest.
Autocar, do your job and get to it!
RayVonn said:
Yes, he might be charging a huge rent, but thats just business - if the new owner is foolish enough to sign up to such a lease, who's fault is that.
I wasn't suggesting he was being callous in charging rent. Currently he has a tenant who are out of lease and in administration and therefore no income from the property.
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