Whatever happened to the TVR relaunch?
Whatever happened to the TVR relaunch?
Author
Discussion

BlueSmoke

Original Poster:

4,666 posts

224 months

Tuesday 9th June 2009
quotequote all
Anyone remember this? With the updated Sagaris and the big press do etc. Didn't think anything would come of it but it would have been nice if it had...

Ireland

3,517 posts

244 months

Tuesday 9th June 2009
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+ 1

davepen

1,483 posts

300 months

Wednesday 10th June 2009
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After the "launch" the car was delivered to Austria for further testing by the proprietor. It has since been "lent" to a friend of the proprietor for hot weather testing in the Middle East.... That was at least 6 months ago.

Since then there has been a change of staff at "The Barn" and there is a new TVR related tenant installed.

rev-erend

21,621 posts

314 months

Wednesday 10th June 2009
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Let's face it .. TVR will not be going anywhere with it's current owner.

V8 GRF

7,299 posts

240 months

Wednesday 10th June 2009
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davepen said:
After the "launch" the car was delivered to Austria for further testing by the proprietor. It has since been "lent" to a friend of the proprietor for hot weather testing in the Middle East.... That was at least 6 months ago.

Since then there has been a change of staff at "The Barn" and there is a new TVR related tenant installed.
The Sagaris has actually been given to a middle eastern business associate as a gift.

The plans for the relaunch in the intended form were shelved when the Oxley's were removed. Currently TVR are focusses on sourcing parts and repairing items like PAS racks, electronics and chassis parts such as outriggers.
Very low volume production is a possibility but don't hold your breath.

Roy C

4,213 posts

314 months

Wednesday 10th June 2009
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V8 GRF said:
TVR are focusses
I have two TVRs then (but one has a Ford badge on it)!
biggrin

D14 AYS

3,696 posts

240 months

Wednesday 10th June 2009
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rev-erend said:
Let's face it .. TVR will not be going anywhere with it's current owner.
Sad but very very true.

cuneus

5,963 posts

272 months

Wednesday 10th June 2009
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V8 GRF said:
Very low volume production is a possibility but don't hold your breath.
rofl

taimar78

681 posts

292 months

Wednesday 10th June 2009
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I fully agree with Rev...IMHO,as long as Smolenski owns the company, it will continue to be his own personal toy and we will not see any resumpton of production. At such time as he gets tired of it, or his dad gets tired of his money being spent, then perhaps Smolenski will put it on the market and, if there is anything left to buy, someone with some deep pockets and some intelligence, will purchase it and save the marque from extinction. However, I am not holding my breath.

cathalm

606 posts

274 months

Wednesday 10th June 2009
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When you say the plans were shelved, do you mean forever? If so that seems a ridiculous strategy, why bother at all if there is no intention to ever make any cars. I really don't want to jump ship to another brand but at this rate I will have to.

900T-R

20,406 posts

287 months

Wednesday 10th June 2009
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The only halfway reasonable explanation would be that Smolenski wants/needs to hang on to what's left of the content of his wallet - but at the same time likes to keep his options open for the future.

V8 GRF

7,299 posts

240 months

Wednesday 10th June 2009
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At the risk of being flamed I'll post something of what I know, so don't shoot the messenger OK?

I understand what the Oxley's were proposing required a substantial amount of money with no guarentee of return in difficult times both financially and legislation wise. Remember whatever you think of NS he lost a very large sum of money and is understandably reluctant to do it again, can't blame him for that.
There have been recent moves to put something back into production that required some commitment from other partners as well as NS. That commitment was not forthcoming in the numbers necessary.

As I understand it Nikolai is open to serious and viable offers, none that fit the criteria have been forthcoming.

rev-erend

21,621 posts

314 months

Wednesday 10th June 2009
quotequote all
taimar78 said:
I fully agree with Rev...IMHO,as long as Smolenski owns the company, it will continue to be his own personal toy and we will not see any resumpton of production. At such time as he gets tired of it, or his dad gets tired of his money being spent, then perhaps Smolenski will put it on the market and, if there is anything left to buy, someone with some deep pockets and some intelligence, will purchase it and save the marque from extinction. However, I am not holding my breath.
yes Totally agree.

The choices NS made when he bought the company were shocking .. and in short he just waste money left, right and centre.

Can't see him wasting any more .. and if TVR was for sale .. then really the company is worth little more than the name.

cuneus

5,963 posts

272 months

Wednesday 10th June 2009
quotequote all
V8 GRF said:
At the risk of being flamed I'll post something of what I know, so don't shoot the messenger OK?

I understand what the Oxley's were proposing required a substantial amount of money with no guarentee of return in difficult times both financially and legislation wise. Remember whatever you think of NS he lost a very large sum of money and is understandably reluctant to do it again, can't blame him for that.
There have been recent moves to put something back into production that required some commitment from other partners as well as NS. That commitment was not forthcoming in the numbers necessary.

As I understand it Nikolai is open to serious and viable offers, none that fit the criteria have been forthcoming.
I have heard about these people who live in a parallel universe but didn't realise they actually existed.

JR

14,332 posts

288 months

Wednesday 10th June 2009
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cuneus said:
V8 GRF said:
At the risk of being flamed I'll post something of what I know, so don't shoot the messenger OK?

I understand what the Oxley's were proposing required a substantial amount of money with no guarentee of return in difficult times both financially and legislation wise. Remember whatever you think of NS he lost a very large sum of money and is understandably reluctant to do it again, can't blame him for that.
There have been recent moves to put something back into production that required some commitment from other partners as well as NS. That commitment was not forthcoming in the numbers necessary.

As I understand it Nikolai is open to serious and viable offers, none that fit the criteria have been forthcoming.
NS or V8?

I have heard about these people who live in a parallel universe but didn't realise they actually existed.

900T-R

20,406 posts

287 months

Wednesday 10th June 2009
quotequote all
JR said:
NS or V8?
Nah, the Oxleys. "Everything is going to be just fine Nik, just give us some more money..." hehe

Blown2CV

31,653 posts

233 months

Wednesday 10th June 2009
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surely all that is left is the name... NS does not appear to have interest in rekindling anything, and what about the rumours that the "company" had been sold to florida businessmen and so on and so forth...

900T-R

20,406 posts

287 months

Wednesday 10th June 2009
quotequote all
Blown2CV said:
and what about the rumours that the "company" had been sold to florida businessmen
They didn't pay up. The end. biggrin

V41LEY

3,021 posts

268 months

Wednesday 10th June 2009
quotequote all
Would anyone seriously buy a 'new model' TVR in this climate whoever re-started production ? Would need a serious leap of faith with all the recent failures of low production sports car manufacturers.




Now that the MPs have been rumbled - they can't even claim one on expenses to create demand !

900T-R

20,406 posts

287 months

Thursday 11th June 2009
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V41LEY said:
Would anyone seriously buy a 'new model' TVR in this climate whoever re-started production ? Would need a serious leap of faith with all the recent failures of low production sports car manufacturers.
Well, given the current exchange rate we're already relieving you Brits of a good number of second hand ones. wink Judging by what some of the leading aftermarket suppliers say, they see a huge increase of sales from the continent, too.

A lot hinges on the factory's attitude to overseas sales and prices. For instance the £48.5K Lotus Evora retails at under 80,000 euro here (i.e. smack in the middle between Cayman and Cayman S) - the last known price for a £50K Sagaris was 136,500 euro or so. Of course a lot of that difference is down to exchange rates, but the list price of the Saggy went from 113,500 euro only a year before, all the same. Look at Morgan - the price of an Aero 8 has got up by similar rates and hasn't come down with the exhange rates either; a £110K Aeromax will be 240-250,000 euro when the one example sold lands here. The Dutch TVR/Morgan importer says it's not because of their being greedy - it's the manufacturer jacking up export prices (because they could do without the hassle of overseas sales?).

Bonkers Brit sports cars have a dedicated fanbase here, but I've got a feeling that we only get cars if the manufacturer thinks they can make a mint out of them. Paying 911 prices for a car that's competing with Boxsters on its home turf is being asked a bit much. We're not that mad... wink I'm sure, though, that a TVR roadster in the Griffith/Chimaera/Tuscan mould would sell at around the Evora price level - Nimag sold a lot of Griffs and Chims back when the pound was still worth something. wink

Edited by 900T-R on Thursday 11th June 06:35