TVR Staff In Trouble

[Dave]

Not looking good for one of the uk's best sports car producers

Sky news

[fatcat]

just confirmed on TV that the plant is closing, very sad day

[Dave]

Really!!.. that is tragic

Another loss for the uk.

Ok, so they wern't the best built cars, but driving them was something else.

[DanRS]

TVR Still exists... the Plant isn't closing imediately. The plan was to move the factory anyway.

However 1/3 of the staff are being laid off which is sad

XFS

[v8griff]

Guys,

This closure has been on the cards for some time. It is tragic that personnel will lose their jobs but remember manufacturing will locate to another location. Peter Wheeler still owns the lease for Bristol Ave and I'm told, don't hold me to this one, that the ground rent is £10k a month It makes sense to move.

[balboni]

I feel very sorry for the workers of the company...

But....

If you look at their model line up, it is clear this company has no clue about its offerings to the market place. I think the most die hard petrol heads will have difficulty in exactly pinning down what the differences are with their "six" models.

Also, its a sad fact that under investment by Peter Wheeler contributed to their downfall (sound familiar?).... TVR sounded like a cowboy operation, and it doesnt suprise me that the staff are being laid off (which is a shame for british manufacturing industry).

Why is it British Automotive industry is so under-invested in? Is it poo management?

[DanRS]

Cab Man... it's interesting that you say petrolheads would have difficulty pinning down the six models, and you have a 911 as your avatar.. Let me help you out

Tamora = Boxter

T350c = Cayman

T350T = Cayman Targa?

Sagaris = Cayman S

Tuscan = 911 C2

Tuscan conv 911 C2 Conv

Tuscan S 911C4S

Tuscan S Conv 911 C4S Conv

Wasn't that difficult was it?

Of course porsche has an array of other terminally confusing variations on the 911 theme Turbo, Targa, RS, GT3, GT2 etc.. not counting the desperately ugly Cayenne and it's variations

The other thing is pretty much every TVR is built to order, so TVR is not making cars to sit in showrooms, if nobody orders a car... TVR doesn't make it.

I think accusing Peter Wheeler of under investing is a little harsh you can't invest what you don't have, to keep the prices reasonable, and TVR prices are still very reasonable, they figure you pay is how much it cost to make plus a little extra to allow for future model development.

TVR a cowboy operation? hardly. The company has a longer pedegree than Lamborghini, Ferrari, Lotus and Porsche, and a history that reads (sadly) very much like Aston Martin.

I will however grant you that the british manufacturing industry in general is in decline and that is a shame. In particular the motor industry. I guess its hard to pin down the cause, some might say it simply hasn't recovered from the left wing trade union disruptions in the 60's and 70's others due to the high cost of living in the UK forcing workers wages up, I expect some economist might tell us.

Cheers XFS

[barrymung]

[ QUOTE ]

Why is it British Automotive industry is so under-invested in? Is it poo management?

[/ QUOTE ]

In my opinion Company failures are generally down to greedy management. Basically they take too much money out of the company and don't re-invest it.

Edit: However, the Rover collapse was down to the Union movement of the 70s.

[ashleyadam]

Cabman I will have to go with you on that TVR never have been a strong company but since Peter Wheeler took them over they went down hill. Xffyffes I would not even mention any po--c-e in the same breath as TVR.

[stackmonkey]

Eh?

Without Peter Wheeler the company would have disappeared long ago. Granted he wasn't perfect (who is?) and make mistakes (my personal opinion is the Sp6 engine), but I don't think he did badly.

As Xfyffes said, the cars are rather easier to distinguish than the current line up from porsche and are also rather better looking too.

They are also something of a performance bargain compared to any 'equivalent' porsche.