Thursday 2nd October 2003

Hawthorns part company with TVR

Dealer to focus on other things

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Hawthorns TVR based in Farnham, Surrey are to give up their TVR franchise. In a statement issued by the company this afternoon, Dealer Principal Rod Barrett said, "Hawthorns TVR and TVR Engineering Ltd have by mutual agreement decided to terminate the business relationship between them. "

Terms have been agreed that will see Hawthorns winding down the TVR side of the business between now and Christmas. That period is designed to allow Hawthorns to alert their customers to the changes and inform them of the other options for servicing and buying TVRs in the area.

Barrett is also a director of the property company which owns the site on which the showroom is based and aluded possibility of the the dealership relocating in due course: "Hawthorns is only a small part of the group's overall activiities and we may have to re-locate it if we are to be in a position to take advantage of the considerable redvelopment opportunities that currently exist."

Link : www.hawthornstvr.co.uk

[Graham.J]

No, they can't go from there I'll have to actually travel more than 2 miles to ogle at TVR's

[sb-1]

Think its been on the cards for a while unfortunately.
Steve

[.Mark]

A great shame.
We met Rod a few times at the Tuscan races when Steve and Jay were driving for him and afterwards at various circuits and I always rooted for them.
His hospitality just before or just after a race was always excellent. TVR will be far worse off without his support.
I suspected something was amiss over recent weeks after reading some of his posts and then quitting the Tuscan Challenge so am not entirely surprised.

Best of luck with the rest of the Empire Rod - will we be able to watch you racing something else next year?

[daver]

Possibly different motives to Fernie's recent similar move but, all in all, not the ideal scenario for this neck of the woods.

[Steve_T]

.Mark said:

A great shame. We met Rod a few times at the Tuscan races when Steve and Jay were driving for him and afterwards at various circuits and I always rooted for them. His hospitality just before or just after a race was always excellent. TVR will be far worse off without his support. I suspected something was amiss over recent weeks after reading some of his posts and then quitting the Tuscan Challenge so am not entirely surprised. Best of luck with the rest of the Empire Rod - will we be able to watch you racing something else next year?

Yep VX220 Turbos in the GT Cup class. See the Colin Blower thread in the GT racing forum.

>> Edited by Steve_T on Thursday 2nd October 17:30

[Shuggie]

Great pity - I bought my Chim from them last year, though I'm still waiting for my spare key & Meta alarm fob Jason . That's probably TVR's fault not their's as I detect from Rob's postings that communication between them is not what it should be . Hawthorns have been great but I'll have to go into Farnham via Racing Green in future for that TVR fetish experience. I thought there'd be changes somehow.

Any chances of a TVR leaving do?

Hugh

[Mrs_T]

I was aware that this was happening last Saturday after talking to Rod at Brands. I am surprised at the speed with which this statement has come out. Farnham will just not be the same for me!. We bought Burbl from there in 2001 and have enjoyed every mile. A sad loss for Surrey and TVR.
On a brighter note, good luck Rod in the VX 220 Turbo's.
Karen

>> Edited by Mrs_T on Thursday 2nd October 18:04

[jamesc]

Rod is a great man who since 1997 has invested alot of time and money in TVR and TVR racing. He will be missed by all TVR owners, thankfully he remains a PHer and a supporter of British GT.

Good luck with your new venture!

regards

James

[big g]

I also got my Chimaera last year and the service has been very good....a shame indeed. Strangely I too needed a key and tag.....from Jason, got the tag after 12m but still waiting on the key!

[Shuggie]

Big G, are you sure it isn't mine? I suppose there is light at the end of the tunnel and it's not a train. Any joy Jason?

Hugh

[lost boys]

They have provided us with first class service since we bought C5RBY through them and we are very sad at the news.

Lost Boys

[JonRB]

It's funny - on several occasions I've joked to Jamie and Jason at Hawthorns that it is ironic that a TVR dealer has TVRs as less than 50% of it's vehicle stock.

I can see why now.

>> Edited by JonRB on Friday 3rd October 08:20

[.Mark]

Steve_T said:

Yep VX220 Turbos in the GT Cup class. See the Colin Blower thread in the GT racing forum.

Oh Good, I'll go and have a look - cheers Steve.

[alt]

[quote]That period is designed to allow Hawthorns to alert their customers to the changes and inform them of the other options for servicing and buying TVRs in the area.[/quote]
This is exactly what I was expecting from Kings Sports Cars when they closed in December and I'm still waiting! Nothing from Kings, nothing from TVR and nothing from any other dealer offering service! Waste of space the lot of them!

[sidpinup]

Are Racing Green any good? they are only down the road.

[bjwoods]

Looks like the service side will keep going independantly (PGI). For some reason they are always very busy! ;-)

B

[jedi]

Unfortunate news, although I gather its been on the cards for a while. I guess they had the same problems with the factory that forced fernhurst to quit too (possibly).

When will the factory learn.

[JonRB]

bjwoods said:

Looks like the service side will keep going independantly (PGI).

The service side has always been independant and that is half the problem. Hawthorns had insufficient control over the service side of things to ensure that their level of service / repairs matched their excellent sales and after-sales service.
As a result many people went elsewhere for servicing / fixes once their warranties expired. Some even before!

This is not a dig at Hawthorns as they're great people, but I have always questioned the desirability of not having total control over your servicing and repairs by not having it in-house.

[rev-erend]

Hawthorns... um the rumour mill had a TVR dealer
leaving the Redhill area....

[bjwoods]

The service side IS very good imho....
From what I can see the problem is not the service side, but TVR... Ie the inabbility to supply certain parts, mean the service guys get it in the neck for things outside off their control (IE tvr themselves), plus engine issues..

Plus many other things....

PLUS excessive warranty work required on new cars, which is not properly funded by TVR. The dealers/servicng side are independant business too TVR, they can't forever absorb the warranty costs to maintain customer satisfaction (and why should they - TVR are the manufacturer here) - That alone is why Fernhurst - imho - parted company aswell.

For example, just had it service by Hawthorns, sailed though MOT as well.... One note was engine mounting block a bit perished - - Could be a problem in the future as TVR CAN't Supply them ??!!???

NOT the dealers/service guys fault.

B

>> Edited by bjwoods on Friday 3rd October 14:46