TVR - is the end in sight?

[tomprice]

I doubt many of you will have heard of the problems, but here they are:

Fears for TVR as firm quits plant

The layoffs are more bad news for the British car industry

Fresh uncertainty surrounds the future of sportscar manufacturer TVR after it said it would quit its Blackpool factory within six months.
The firm - which has temporarily laid off more than a quarter of its 260 staff - said it was unable to guarantee the future of its remaining workforce.
However, TVR insisted that it would not close and said its Russian owner was committed to the company's future.
Union officials said the news was "devastating" for workers.
Established in 1947, TVR is Britain's largest independent sportscar owner and was bought by Russian tycoon Nikolai Smolensky in 2004.
Relocation
TVR is looking for new purpose-built premises after it decided not to renew the lease of its 30-year old factory in Blackpool.
I thought it (TVR) would stay in England for ever but that is obviously not the case


Andy Robertson, TGWU official



TVR has been under pressure as demand for its two seat sportscars has sagged and it revealed on Friday that it had temporarily stood down 71 of its 260 staff.
The firm said it hoped to remain in the area but also warned that it could be forced to relocate elsewhere in the UK if it could not find suitable premises nearby.
"This has been on the cards for quite a while," a TVR spokesman said.
"Ideally we would stay around here because that is where the trained people are but we cannot guarantee it."
TVR said it was "essential" that it found new premises within the next six months so production was not disrupted.
No guarantees
The firm said demand had picked up over Easter.
We are investing for the future


TVR


However, it warned that it could not guarantee the future of the 71 staff affected by the slowdown or those remaining with the business.
"We cannot make any guarantees," the spokesman said.
TVR said it hoped to export cars to Europe and the Middle East in the future and ruled out the possibility of the firm being forced to close.
"We are investing for the future and our new owner is in it for the long term," the spokesman said.
Unions said the outlook for the company was very bleak.
"The workforce is devastated by the news," Andy Robertson, a TGWU official, told BBC Radio Lancashire. Workers had no idea where TVR cars would be made in the future, he said, and many were expecting to be made redundant. "This is the quintessential British sports car," he added. "I thought it would stay in England for ever but that is obviously not the case."

I personally think this is a shambles - the last major British manufacturer (MG-Rover) died last year resulting in shed loads of tears; I hope Mr Smellyski will have the sense to pull TVR out of the red, otherwise all us Brits have is Honda Civics and a few BMW-engined 'kit-cars'.

Having said that, I really think the TVR range isn't great; it seems to me that the typical age of a TVR is around 50 or more (maybe they're dying out ) and they desperately need to transform their image - I mean radically, like, stop production for a year and re-launch in 2008 when they have a model range that reeks of quality, reliability, but most of all has a focus on performance.

I won't be the only one wondering if TVR will live to see the light at the end of the bleak, desolate, grim tunnel; I can remember my first ride in a TVR - a Griff, the kind of TVR that they lost the will to build.

Oh how depressing.

[Redcoat]

Having said that, I really think the TVR range isn't great; it seems to me that the typical age of a TVR is around 50 or more (maybe they're dying out ) and they desperately need to transform their image - I mean radically, like, stop production for a year and re-launch in 2008 when they have a model range that reeks of quality, reliability, but most of all has a focus on performance.

I won't be the only one wondering if TVR will live to see the light at the end of the bleak, desolate, grim tunnel; I can remember my first ride in a TVR - a Griff, the kind of TVR that they lost the will to build.

Oh how depressing.

What on earth are you talking about?




400hp, 1000kg cars and that doesnt smell enough of performance for you? What do you drive, a Veyron ?

But seriously, they need to improve the AJP6 and AJP8 engine reliability, and bring back a Cerbera-sized 2+2. Rationalising the model range wouldnt be a bad idea either as their current plan of building lots of low-volume variants of the same chassis is a bit wierd.

Smollenksi is a dodgy fellow, and considering TVR sold a lot of cars last year, im not sure what he's playing at.....they opened a HUGE dealership in West London then closed it within a month....something is fishy with the management at TVR.

[tomprice]

What I meant is they are gradually, very slowly, being undercut by Noble and 'is cronies. Therefore - we need more focus on the stuff that seems to have been the driving force behind TVR in the Peter Wheeler days; performance, performance, and you get the picture. We don't need Essex girl (!) cabrios, chain-sawed T350s or even the Speed 12 - we need TVR to realise what it is good at - fast cars.

Sorry if I seemed to have missed your point!

[Whirling_Dervish]

TVRs are great! I really like the Sagaris. But unless they make the jump over the pond to sell in the US I doubt they'll have a future. Thats what kept Lotus going.

Perhaps TVR should follow Lotus' example and focus all resources on one exceptional car as they did with the Elise and slowly grow outward from there.

Regardless they have to sell in the US to survive.

PS--What became of the TVR motorcycle?

[tomprice]

Nowt so far r.e. the motorcycle.

Nice thinking about 'the Lotus idea' - shame that TVR is in a much stickier situation. Problem with Lotus is all they have is an Elise, and Elise coupe, and another Elise coupe. Maybe the Esprit will sort that out.

But, if they were to kill of some of the poorer-selling models, which ones should go? My thoughts would be that they kill the Tamora, Cerbera, Chimaera, Tuscan convertible and T350 Targa, keep the Saggyarse alive for the 'younger' generation and make the T350C more useable, reliable whilst making the power more accessible, and then keep the Tusk as it is for the time being.

[ChevroletRevived]

I sure hope that TVR stays around. I LOVE TVR's. I think that they should sell them in the USA. The British Automotive industry is really sad...it's too bad what happened, they don't really have any domestic manufacturers anymore.

[BobLikesBunnies]

sad TVR's are hot