jello@ida.net wrote:
>>
>>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.
>
The point being MG only incurs the cost of proving conformance. Nobody here
had ever heard of MGs until after WWII when a few GIs brought them home.
That created enough interest that a few dealers started importing them
themselves. The same could be done today if MG will do the conformance
tests and get the car listed, then an individual can import one if they
wish.
I don't recall anybody saying to sell at a loss, my point was that MG
could have a presence here without a dealer network. Check into the
history of how they got started in the US the first time.
--
Stephen West-Fisher
Coastal Data Systems
727.418.9774
http://www.coastaldatasystems.com/
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