article from the orlando sentinel
Discussion
sorry if this is a repost. got it from by brother in law who lives in florida.
March 10, 2007
The official coming out party for the new TVR company took place last Saturday in a hangar at Fantasy of Flight in Polk City, hosted by the legendary sports-car manufacturer's new owners: Jean Michel Santacreu, an amateur race car driver and founder of an Orlando convention and party planning company called Art of the Party, and Adam Burdette, owner of Evolution Imports, which markets JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) cars in the U.S. to The Fast and the Furious crowd.
Santacreu and Burdette now run a legendary British sports car company that will no longer be based in Britain, as world headquarters will be in Orlando. They plan to import one model of the TVR to America in 2008, to be sold here through a 45-dealer network. Total production will be 5,000 a year; the U.S. will get 3,000, and the rest will be divided between the 20-odd existing TVR dealers in Europe, and another 35 in the Far East.
The car will be the TVR Sagaris, which was introduced in 2004, but has never really been properly marketed. U.S. versions will be powered by a 400-horsepower, 4.0-liter inline "Speed Six" six-cylinder engine sourced from Ricardo, a British engineering firm. The final assembly of the Sagaris will be done in Italy, by Bertone. Bodies will, for now, continue to be produced in England. Expected price in the U.S.: about $120,000.
This is just the latest in a series of bizarre twists involving TVR, the most recent coming under the ownership of mercurial Russian banking tycoon Nikolai Smolenski, who, at age 24, bought TVR in July 2004.
Smolenski did not endear himself to the British. He announced in 2005 that by the end of 2007, TVRs would no longer be produced at the Bristol Avenue factory in Blackpool, England, which had been TVR's plant since the 1970s. TVR's own press material called the factory "antiquated."
Last year, Smolenski sent TVR into receivership, where multiple parties -- one of them backed by sports-car fan and rock-music legend Rick Wakeman (Yes, David Bowie) -- bid on the company.
In the end, the winner of the auction was -- Nikolai Smolenski. Critics, including a member of Britain's Parliament who is calling for an investigation, suggest that it was a way Smolenski could discharge the company's debts, then re-sell the company on his own. Further stoking the fires, Smolenski said, "Britain does not support industry." Thus, most of the approximately 250 workers at TVR's Blackpool factory are out of work, and presumably will not be sending Christmas cards to Smolenski, now a resident of Vienna.
Enter Santacreu and Burdette who, about a year ago, opened a line of communication with TVR regarding a possible U.S. distributorship. As their attorneys waded through the necessary due diligence, one of them told Santacreu and Burdette: "You really ought to buy this company."
During that period, Monte Patterson, who sells Lamborghinis, Rolls-Royces and Bentleys at Orlando's Ultimate Motor Works, became involved in the project as a consultant. Patterson is now the head of TVR's U.S. division. "I didn't give them a snowball's chance in hell of pulling this off," Patterson says, "but they did." On Feb. 25, Santacreu and Burdette became owners of TVR. Smolenski is gone.
This will not be TVR's first shot at the U.S. market, but it could be the best. TVR, founded in 1947 by Trevor Wilkinson -- TVR is a contraction of Wilkinson's first name -- began building limited-edition sports cars in 1949. The cars were well-regarded in Europe where they won many races, but essentially unknown in the United States, except for a period in the mid-1980s when the TVR Tasmin 280i was imported. It was a handsome car, but with a German Ford V-6 engine almost identical to the one in the Ford Bronco II, not particularly exotic.
Higher-performance versions of TVRs continued to win fans, though; actor John Travolta's character in the 2001 film Swordfish drove a TVR Tuscan, and a Sagaris starred in a 2006 Pirelli-produced Web film with Naomi Campbell and John Malkovich titled The Call.
TVR's Web site (www.tvr .co.uk) lists three current models -- the Sagaris, the Tuscan S and Tuscan S convertible -- as well as an upcoming model, the 600-horsepower Typhoon.
The new owners plan to concentrate on the Sagaris and would even like to build a racing series around the car.
So what's next? Trying to get cars built, outlets arranged, contracts signed. TVR's March 3 get-together, at which a right-hand-drive Sagaris was on display, was primarily for potential dealers, who were mostly impressed. "It's a beautiful car," said Satish Tummala, president of Motorwerks, a Commerce Township, Mich., exotic-car dealer. No test drives were allowed, but the Sagaris' raspy exhaust note, echoing around the airplane hangar, was suitably invigorating.
The new owners are aware, to a fault, that any Sagaris that makes it to the U.S. market had better be right, as quality control has long been an issue with TVR .
"We'll only have one chance to get this right," said Patterson. "But I think we have a shot. I really do."
March 10, 2007
The official coming out party for the new TVR company took place last Saturday in a hangar at Fantasy of Flight in Polk City, hosted by the legendary sports-car manufacturer's new owners: Jean Michel Santacreu, an amateur race car driver and founder of an Orlando convention and party planning company called Art of the Party, and Adam Burdette, owner of Evolution Imports, which markets JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) cars in the U.S. to The Fast and the Furious crowd.
Santacreu and Burdette now run a legendary British sports car company that will no longer be based in Britain, as world headquarters will be in Orlando. They plan to import one model of the TVR to America in 2008, to be sold here through a 45-dealer network. Total production will be 5,000 a year; the U.S. will get 3,000, and the rest will be divided between the 20-odd existing TVR dealers in Europe, and another 35 in the Far East.
The car will be the TVR Sagaris, which was introduced in 2004, but has never really been properly marketed. U.S. versions will be powered by a 400-horsepower, 4.0-liter inline "Speed Six" six-cylinder engine sourced from Ricardo, a British engineering firm. The final assembly of the Sagaris will be done in Italy, by Bertone. Bodies will, for now, continue to be produced in England. Expected price in the U.S.: about $120,000.
This is just the latest in a series of bizarre twists involving TVR, the most recent coming under the ownership of mercurial Russian banking tycoon Nikolai Smolenski, who, at age 24, bought TVR in July 2004.
Smolenski did not endear himself to the British. He announced in 2005 that by the end of 2007, TVRs would no longer be produced at the Bristol Avenue factory in Blackpool, England, which had been TVR's plant since the 1970s. TVR's own press material called the factory "antiquated."
Last year, Smolenski sent TVR into receivership, where multiple parties -- one of them backed by sports-car fan and rock-music legend Rick Wakeman (Yes, David Bowie) -- bid on the company.
In the end, the winner of the auction was -- Nikolai Smolenski. Critics, including a member of Britain's Parliament who is calling for an investigation, suggest that it was a way Smolenski could discharge the company's debts, then re-sell the company on his own. Further stoking the fires, Smolenski said, "Britain does not support industry." Thus, most of the approximately 250 workers at TVR's Blackpool factory are out of work, and presumably will not be sending Christmas cards to Smolenski, now a resident of Vienna.
Enter Santacreu and Burdette who, about a year ago, opened a line of communication with TVR regarding a possible U.S. distributorship. As their attorneys waded through the necessary due diligence, one of them told Santacreu and Burdette: "You really ought to buy this company."
During that period, Monte Patterson, who sells Lamborghinis, Rolls-Royces and Bentleys at Orlando's Ultimate Motor Works, became involved in the project as a consultant. Patterson is now the head of TVR's U.S. division. "I didn't give them a snowball's chance in hell of pulling this off," Patterson says, "but they did." On Feb. 25, Santacreu and Burdette became owners of TVR. Smolenski is gone.
This will not be TVR's first shot at the U.S. market, but it could be the best. TVR, founded in 1947 by Trevor Wilkinson -- TVR is a contraction of Wilkinson's first name -- began building limited-edition sports cars in 1949. The cars were well-regarded in Europe where they won many races, but essentially unknown in the United States, except for a period in the mid-1980s when the TVR Tasmin 280i was imported. It was a handsome car, but with a German Ford V-6 engine almost identical to the one in the Ford Bronco II, not particularly exotic.
Higher-performance versions of TVRs continued to win fans, though; actor John Travolta's character in the 2001 film Swordfish drove a TVR Tuscan, and a Sagaris starred in a 2006 Pirelli-produced Web film with Naomi Campbell and John Malkovich titled The Call.
TVR's Web site (www.tvr .co.uk) lists three current models -- the Sagaris, the Tuscan S and Tuscan S convertible -- as well as an upcoming model, the 600-horsepower Typhoon.
The new owners plan to concentrate on the Sagaris and would even like to build a racing series around the car.
So what's next? Trying to get cars built, outlets arranged, contracts signed. TVR's March 3 get-together, at which a right-hand-drive Sagaris was on display, was primarily for potential dealers, who were mostly impressed. "It's a beautiful car," said Satish Tummala, president of Motorwerks, a Commerce Township, Mich., exotic-car dealer. No test drives were allowed, but the Sagaris' raspy exhaust note, echoing around the airplane hangar, was suitably invigorating.
The new owners are aware, to a fault, that any Sagaris that makes it to the U.S. market had better be right, as quality control has long been an issue with TVR .
"We'll only have one chance to get this right," said Patterson. "But I think we have a shot. I really do."
Time will tell, it will be to have Back Home / Meet the Maker in the sunshine of the US just a bit better, than Blackpool with the cold Irish sea to paddle in.
Can you get sticks of rock to eat over there and what about a nice greasy fish & chips!!!!!
Wish them luck, they will need it and a lot more.
Colin L
Can you get sticks of rock to eat over there and what about a nice greasy fish & chips!!!!!
Wish them luck, they will need it and a lot more.
Colin L
cuneus said:
I see Burdette's background has not been questioned - again
Edited by cuneus on Sunday 11th March 12:24
But at least it involved cars, despite the alleged mis-treatment of customers. Not quite sure what Mr. Party Planner can contribute though - oh yes, he's a race car driver. That's ok then.
If any of this ever comes off (and IMHO it's a very big if), given that the majority of the production is intended for the LHD market, I wonder if that's the only form the cars will take. And although I've not looked at the inside of the roof of the Saggy, I assume that the external hump is to accommodate a driver with lid, so that will need to be re-done as well.
7.
seymourski said:
It all sounds very promising - I just hope there is some substance behind the sentiment. I shall be keeping my fingers crossed....
Are you a comedian ? - read this:
http://forums.evolutionm.net/showthre
Who are the principals?
1. A guy who has tried to run a grey market Japanese build import business, and failed, mostly scamming people.
2. A guy who runs a party service, and is a no name amateur driver.
3. A guy who sells exotic cars at someone else's dealership, not even a dealer from what they say.
Yes, this is going to be a great success, and I'm sure they have all the capital it will take to jumpstart this new engine, the new building facilities, to front end the marketing.
1. A guy who has tried to run a grey market Japanese build import business, and failed, mostly scamming people.
2. A guy who runs a party service, and is a no name amateur driver.
3. A guy who sells exotic cars at someone else's dealership, not even a dealer from what they say.
Yes, this is going to be a great success, and I'm sure they have all the capital it will take to jumpstart this new engine, the new building facilities, to front end the marketing.
wild said:
Who are the principals?
1. A guy who has tried to run a grey market Japanese build import business, and failed, mostly scamming people.
2. A guy who runs a party service, and is a no name amateur driver.
3. A guy who sells exotic cars at someone else's dealership, not even a dealer from what they say.
Yes, this is going to be a great success, and I'm sure they have all the capital it will take to jumpstart this new engine, the new building facilities, to front end the marketing.
1. A guy who has tried to run a grey market Japanese build import business, and failed, mostly scamming people.
2. A guy who runs a party service, and is a no name amateur driver.
3. A guy who sells exotic cars at someone else's dealership, not even a dealer from what they say.
Yes, this is going to be a great success, and I'm sure they have all the capital it will take to jumpstart this new engine, the new building facilities, to front end the marketing.
Well Oxleeey is in good company then 
From what I understand NS hopes for recoup his investment of 40 mill from these guys by letting them have a license to sell the cars in the US and Europe.
Ok, not a bad plan, but why not select someone with a track record of success or the ability to bring something to the table?
These guys do appear a little grey on the old customer service front. The chances of success seem stacked against them.
Even at a push someone like Boyd Coddington, Chip Foose or any of the major importers would have been a more likely candidate. Ok this current bunch might be more naive, but they don't appear to have the funds to be taken advantage of by NS. It just doesn't stack up.
If is just the take the flack away from NS, why not partner with a profesional outfit with a real PR team etc.
The TVR brand can't be so bad that nobody wants to touch it with a barge pole. Or is it just the price that NS demands to release it from this grasp?
After all hasn't Aston only made a profit for one or two years since 1915?
Ok, not a bad plan, but why not select someone with a track record of success or the ability to bring something to the table?
These guys do appear a little grey on the old customer service front. The chances of success seem stacked against them.
Even at a push someone like Boyd Coddington, Chip Foose or any of the major importers would have been a more likely candidate. Ok this current bunch might be more naive, but they don't appear to have the funds to be taken advantage of by NS. It just doesn't stack up.
If is just the take the flack away from NS, why not partner with a profesional outfit with a real PR team etc.
The TVR brand can't be so bad that nobody wants to touch it with a barge pole. Or is it just the price that NS demands to release it from this grasp?
After all hasn't Aston only made a profit for one or two years since 1915?
Does anyone know how many TVRs were sold in the US?
To my mind TVRs will never sell well there. Why? Because you can buy a top of the range Corvette there with a 500+ bhp V8, which actually handles OK, has amazing reliability, comfort, massive dealer support and is American through and through.
The price tag? Just over $70k. How many Americans are going to pay 40% more for a TVR?
Cheers,
Tom.
To my mind TVRs will never sell well there. Why? Because you can buy a top of the range Corvette there with a 500+ bhp V8, which actually handles OK, has amazing reliability, comfort, massive dealer support and is American through and through.
The price tag? Just over $70k. How many Americans are going to pay 40% more for a TVR?
Cheers,
Tom.
t how he stays in business is a mystery to mefrazer guest said:
i hope it works, but the new owners seem like a bunch of amaters, and i fear its doomed.
Going from various other articles posted on Ph mate, I dont think these yanks are the new owners, more like owners of the rights to a couple of models and usage of the name for the American market!
I fear Smallendski is firmly in charge
And yes....Yes its doomed
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