> Barney Gaylord wrote:
>
> >
> > As for the current crop of MGs possibly getting into the US, I suppose
the
> > total absence of tarrifs might not even help much. There are other
issues
> > of vehicle pricing which are probably the overbearing restraint, and
the
> > capital investment involved to ramp up production when developoment
money
> > within the company is having to be rationed. And then there's that
still
> > nagging (but not insurmountable) problem of prior existing dealer
> > franchises. I'm not holding my breath, but I am betting that some new
MGs
> > will get here eventually (given at least a few more years), and also
> > betting that the company will not fold in the interim.
>
> Considering the price range of the vehicle, they don't need the support
> services
> or to worry about ramping up production initially. All they have to do
> is conform to the US
> regulations and be placed into the conforming vehicle list. Then the
> purchaser can import the car as a conforming vehicle. Then once a few
> get here, demand can be created in the US market.
>
> --
> Stephen West-Fisher
That's a pretty optimistic view. If you send it the market will grow.
Reality is that in the US, the best marketing is needed to be a success.
Peugeot, Lotus (with the new elan), and Citroen as well as several other
manufacturers proved a long time ago that having a quality (for the time)
vehicle with great (or interesting) features doesn't sell cars -
advertising/marketing does. Further, MG proved that you can't lose money
on every car you sell and stay in business. The US market is the toughest
market for cars in the world - as much as I'd like to see MG's here, it
may be better for them to stay out.
Phil Bates
'58 MGA
'67 MGB
misc other european stuff
/// or try http://www.team.net/cgi-bin/majorcool
/// Archives at http://www.team.net/archive
|