Thoughts? As a car enthusiast, I'm not all that enthused. TVR going American (even though it won't really be American) doesn't sit well with me. Anyone from Britain/Blackpool/Russia (haha)? How do you feel?
I'm from the UK and I'm not all that sure on it. When the Russian kid decided to buy TVR he was going on about how he was going to make TVR's more comfortable and easy to live with. Thankfully, he failed. I'm a sucker for the exaust growl and the unusual, pretty styling but let's face it, TVR's spend more time getting fixed than on the road. Yet somehow I'd sell my kidney for one.
These Americans buying TVR could either keep their soul and hopefully make them more reliable or they could fill them with tacky plastics trying desperately to make as much profit as possible. The current updated Sagaris is an example of financial woes. Brushed aluminium replaced with plastic and what-not...
This is what I was thinking. Here's hoping TVR retains its spirit. I suppose I don't especially mind if it goes to America, but I really don't want for the experience to be cheapened, as I am afraid it is wont to do.
American car designers don't have passion for their cars. I know it's difficult to imagine a country that wears tweed caps and the like actually having passion about cars, but the UK does, and that has been shown with so many car designs. Admittedly, we don't go quite so far as the Italians, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.
Personally, I can get excited about a mustang or a corvette, but they aren't the same level of class as the shape of a TVR, are they. And with those being about the prettiest cars to come out of America, where will that leave the TVR? Turning into something that may well go more than a mile, but without any of the personality that made it in the first place.
Heh, I am American and I understand what you are saying. We Americans used to have quite a lot of passion for our cars back in the day, but now its mostly just about making more money (which isn't a bad thing when placed in the right spot on the priorities list) I will say that I think Americans have more of a passion for our cars than the Russians...
Right now with the information I have read I could see TVR going either way, becoming cheaply made and just running on the already established TVR name, or get a bit of a boost from its new owners.
TVR is a specialty manufacturer it has the benefit of not having to exactly meet all the requirements of regulators and in company accountants, which when both interact you get something like the regular American car.
....Corvette, Viper, Mustang, (upcoming Camaro, Challenger)...all nice looking and for the most part relatively cheap cars.
TVR's relatively cheap to supercars but they come with barely working bare essentials, but I'm not knocking them, because if I could I would one day love to have 1 (or 5).
I am not offended at all. Few American cars can share territory with their European counterparts. TVR is in my top 5 favorite manufacturers. I love straight-sixes, and the lines are simply amazing. But sadly, TVR's are not sold here, apart from grey market sales. With an American ownership of TVR, which I am actually not in favor of, I could only hope for them to be sold here, and converted to LHD for legality, I suppose. I hate the tendency of American companies to use plastics instead of higher quality materials. I was surprised when my Mustang had actual aluminum, leather, and composite instead of plastic for the most part. And it looks good, and corners well, for an American V8 car. Not something typical.
TVR changing to anything other than very British would make me, an American, sad.
I agree with you Foe, I enjoy all cars for what they are, and TVR is a British car and should keep its British feeling. If TVRs started to lose their British feel they wouldn't be TVR anymore... except in name.
As long as TVR keep their design and development teams the same, and simply use the US takeover as a cash injection; I'm all for it. The Sagaris is one of the best looking cars around, nut I could never see an US design team coming up with a car like that.
i dunno if thats really fair, if you look at small american customizers and coachbuilders there is not too much creative difference between a mericans and europeans. And if you look at foreign owned domestics, those have been designed in america for decades. Toyota, Honda, Nissan, most of their design work is done in America for America. THe problem is with unionized, profiteering american corp.s with allowing the union to be in on the design process, and looking to squeeze pennies instead of sales out of their designs.
I'm from the US and I have to say that an american company buying TVR would not help the company out from the stand piont of keeping the same quality car. American car companys are only concerned with their bottom line, making a profit. TVR is in my top 5, and I would be concerned about the quality of the car if bought by an american company.
American car companys are only concerned with their bottom line, making a profit. /quote]
That's a very retarded general statement. Tell us a company that is not concerned with making a profit (apart from non-profit organisations)? The purpose of public companies it to create profits, to increase the share price of the company.
The only car that I have ever heard of that was produced at a loss is the Veyron. This was simply a project to say, "yes it can be done", because the organisation has bullshit money to throw around.
