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RE: CNN reports BMW pays Phoenix to take over

To: "'Gascoigne, Andy'" <Andy.Gascoigne@gov.ky>,
Subject: RE: CNN reports BMW pays Phoenix to take over
From: "Mitchell, Douglas (D.B.)" <dmitchel@ford.com>
Date: Thu, 11 May 2000 13:35:27 -0400
Who makes the et al? Never heard of them. The reason given
for the MGF not being sold here is that they didn't want the
hassle of 'Federalizing' them.

Doug


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Gascoigne, Andy [mailto:Andy.Gascoigne@gov.ky]
> Sent: Thursday, May 11, 2000 1:01 PM
> To: 'Tburke4@aol.com'; jmcneal@ohms.com;
> Terrence.Banbury@dnr.state.oh.us; spitfires@autox.team.net
> Subject: RE: CNN reports BMW pays Phoenix to take over
> 
> 
> 
> Fair point - but if they all thought like that, we wouldn't 
> have got the
> MGF... whilst it's no Z3, it's probably the latter-day 
> Spitfire we never
> had. Far better than Miatas et al (Why aren't they in the US, 
> surely it
> would sell like nothing else - it's only around 20k in the 
> UK, which means
> you'd get it for about 3 grand over there? ;-)
> 
> I think all too often we are caught out by sentimentality and 
> "heritage"
> then nearly go bust - so what happens? Every Tom Dick and 
> Ford goes and buys
> the bl@@dy names!! (Aston, Rolls, Bentley, Jaguar, Rover, now 
> even "Mini" !)
> 
> Yet people still buy those 'marques' because of the name. 
> Ford & VW have
> done a good job of making people buy their cars, who 
> otherwise turn their
> noses up at them. 
> 
> I mainly like old cars 'cos they look nicer.
> 
> Andy www.spitfires.net 
> 68 Spitfire
> 73 GT6
> 71 Karmann Ghia
> 95 Beetle
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tburke4@aol.com [mailto:Tburke4@aol.com]
> Sent: Thursday, May 11, 2000 11:37 AM
> To: jmcneal@ohms.com; Terrence.Banbury@dnr.state.oh.us;
> spitfires@autox.team.net; technical@iwnet.screaming.net
> Subject: Re: CNN reports BMW pays Phoenix to take over
> 
> 
> 
> Jeff,
> 
> I have to say I even feel that way about some of the later 
> model Triumphs 
> like the Stag and the TR8. They had great performance and 
> reflected a modern
> 
> approach to what a sports car could be, but, the molded 
> plastic and "modern"
> 
> car-building materials took Triumph far away from the 
> TR2-3-4/Spitfire 
> simplicity that I find so appealing, particularily for 
> restoration. No 
> offense to the Stag/TR8 guys (they are the bravest of the 
> parts hunters), 
> just my personal taste.
> 
> A "NEW" Triumph would necessarily be a competitor to the Z3, 
> S2000, etc. and
> 
> it would, as you say, have little in common with our cars, 
> besides the name.
> 
> You can't go home again,
> 
> Tom Burke
> 80 Spit (which still can't leave home, either)
> 
> In a message dated 05/11/2000 7:54:40 AM Pacific Daylight Time, 
> jmcneal@ohms.com writes:
> 
> << Terry,
>  
>  Here's the way I feel about it.  The true Triumph marque 
> died out many
> years
>  ago.  Just seeing the name on a new car wouldn't ignite the 
> same passion in
>  me.  Or if it did, the $30,000 + price tag would quickly 
> douse the flame.
>  The whole appeal of these cars -- at least from my 
> standpoint -- is that
>  they reflect the era from which they were built.  The 
> history, the ease of
>  working under the bonnet, the unrefined ride where you feel 
> every bump in
>  the road, the fear of having something blow up or fall off 
> during high revs
>  and sharp turns -- all these elements (and more) would be 
> lost on a newly
>  manufactured car. >>
> 

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