I wondered how long it would take for this thread to go out of control - and 24
hours
looks like it was enough. I've had a number of posts off list asking "what's it
going to
be?" "will it be made at Spartenburg?" "do you know if the spitfire will make a
come-back?"etc etc.
In case my post of yesterday was not understood, I should repeat the report in
Autocar
suggests BMW _might_ adopt the Triumph name instead of continuing with Rover.
Personally,
I have the gravest doubts on that one all round.
1. The cost would be horrific
2. The mere re-badging of any existing product in the hopes that it might sell
when that
same product is having slow sales under another name is equally pointless. That
said, I
don't know if current Rover products are selling well or not. It currently does
not make a
car I would like to buy - but then neither does BMW.
3. If Triumph does come to the fore and for it to stand any chance of success,
an entirely
new model range with different models for different markets would surely be
essential?. I
believe few people would buy a Triumph saloon in North America because there's
more than
enough choice already from other makers. To a degree the same goes for the rest
of the
world, though former Triumph saloons of thirty odd years ago sold well in those
markets
and many are still running.
4. A sportscar has to come out - if only to serve North American interests. Is
this viable
within existing UK production resources? I have my doubts on that one because
the MGF is
not sold in the US or Canada and what size would it have to be? Is there a
market for a
pint size version along the lines of the Honda Beat or Suzuki, or should it
leapfrog up to
Healey 3000 size. If it went big time, the BMW Z3 might find itself playing
second fiddle.
One way or another and whatever the outcome, big bucks will be more than just
prominent
and I doubt BMW is prepared to put all that much more over and above what has
already been
spent with Rover. Might it not be better to contract and pay detailed attention
to Land
Rover and variants, junk the existing car side of things (except MG and new
Mini) and then
take some time out to ask a fundamental question along the lines of "where the
hell are we
going?"
Jonmac
|