In a message dated 2/1/2005 3:11:28 PM Eastern Standard Time,
JFrymark@aol.com writes:
...Now
if BMW could make the Triumph marque appeal to the sports compact tuner
market...
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An interesting thought. Perhaps that demographic is not so totally different
than was the one for Triumph way back when (and I hate to admit that it WAS
way back when....).
Meanwhile, I give BMW a lot of credit for the New Mini's success in the US.
I've no idea what their sales figures are since the introduction, but I
suspect they're pretty good. And to my mind, that points to great marketing.
Think
about it: the original Mini, for all its long success in the rest of the
world, sold something like 10,000 or so units from 1960-67. Heck, the Triumph
Herald sold well more than twice that number in the US during the same
period...and there was no "Cooper S" equivalent in the Herald line. ;-)
Frankly, I
don't believe that the vast majority of New Mini owners in the US have any
idea
that there WAS a previous incarnation, in all its 10-foot-long, 10" wheeled
spendor!
What disappoints me most about the New Mini in the US is the fact that
there's no "basic" (read: "loss leader" or "stripped down") model available
here,
such as the Mini One or even the diesel Mini One D. Too bad...my fuel budget
tells me that I'd like to consider the diesel version. Meanwhile, it'll be
interesting to see how well the Convertible sells and who buys it.
As for a new Triumph, I think I'd want it to be all new and not "retro.". It
would be nice if a talented designer could work in an identifiable styling
cue -- perhaps an homage to Michelotti (appropriate in that he did some BMWs
in the 1960s) -- such as the way the beltline sweeps up just a bit on the rear
edge of the doors on the TR4.
The Triumph name did rise again from nothing after World War II, mostly
without looking back or continuing largely prewar styling themes (unlike a
number
of other British marques). Ultimately, if the name returns once more, I
think I'd prefer to see it come back in a similar way. And with the right
marketing, perhaps we could see not only a sports car (TR whatever) but a
sporting
sedan (Dolomite Sprint).
Meanwhile, I'll stick with the Herald in the summer and the Civic CX beater
in the winter.... :-)
--Andy Mace
p.s. PLEASE don't involve Chris Bangle in any Triumph designs. Same for
whoever came up with that Lego front end for the new Rolls-Royces!
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