Lotus Originals - what's going on?

Lotus Originals - what's going on?

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Petrol_fumes

Original Poster:

219 posts

218 months

Thursday 19th January 2012
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Ok, perhaps I'm the only one that feels this way but for the first time I feel a little miffed by what's going on at Lotus.

I'm a massive fan of the brand and cars, have been since I was a little kid. I own a S1 Elise for fun and hope to add an S1 Exige to the stable this year. Sad or not, I've been after an old school Lotus t-shirt for a while and so logged onto the Originals site last night to have a looks around and was confronted with £50 t-shirts, £900+ leather jackets and £340 wax sealing kits ( http://www.lotusoriginals.com/en/product/wax-seal-...

I know the company is heading towards to more aspirational end of the market, but isn't that a bit crazy? Doing what I do for a living I understand it all to some extent, but I can't help but feel they should aim for a wider market with and wider price range. Add new customers sure, but try and maintain some of the existing base.

Ho hum, still want the shirt, but I'd now be embarrassed to wear it knowing how much it cost. I cringe when I see people in Ferrari merchandise solely because I know what they paid for it, I really don't want to be in the same camp. Hypocritical? Potentially.

Am I alone?

John145

2,468 posts

163 months

Thursday 19th January 2012
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Maybe they are more interested in people who are buying their new cars?

Thud_Mcguffin

267 posts

210 months

Sunday 22nd January 2012
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Wax sealing set for "the discerning letter writer or to seal personal documents"

The have clucking well lost the plot mate.

Steffan

10,362 posts

235 months

Sunday 22nd January 2012
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Sadly this crowd show all the signs of the scam merchant mentality that haunts business today. Everything is a marketing opportunity: nothing is actually sacrosanct in such businesses.

The only interest in the business is how much can be ripped out as quickly as possible.

The underlying principle is ME first.

The auto industry is littered with such idiots.

I do not hold out much hope for Lotus as a respected maker of respected cars.

V8 FOU

2,991 posts

154 months

Monday 6th February 2012
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While this might make the purist wince, bear in mind that merchandising is VERY profitable. Anything that helps Lotus to raise its profile and profit (or reduce its loss) has got to be a good thing.
Doesn't do Ferrari or Harley Davidson any harm really.