rumour is .. TVR setting up in Brazil for racing
Discussion
quote:
Ain't gonna happen anytime soon. They haven't even broken ground on it and things are "on hold".
Source: Ben Samuelson, TVR PR man
Sorry,
Faisal.
quote:
Source is friend of a friend who says connections go past TVR finances (someone is helping them with this project financially)
Don't be so sure...
I haven't been to Brazil, but having just spent a month elsewhere in South America, I certainly cannot believe that anyone expects to manufacture TVRs for sale in Argentina, Chile etc.
Leaving aside the economic questionmarks over Argentina in particular, it's worth noting that there appears to be an extremely small market for sports/luxury cars. In 4 days in both Buenos Aires (quite a prosperous & upmarket city) and Santiago, I saw precisely zero sports cars, and even very few BMWs or Mercs or similar. If there is no demand for Boxsters / SLKs etc I find it hard to believe that "esoteric" Tamoras/Tuscans will sell, unless the local factory concept is a sneaky way around horrific import tariffs.
Leaving aside the economic questionmarks over Argentina in particular, it's worth noting that there appears to be an extremely small market for sports/luxury cars. In 4 days in both Buenos Aires (quite a prosperous & upmarket city) and Santiago, I saw precisely zero sports cars, and even very few BMWs or Mercs or similar. If there is no demand for Boxsters / SLKs etc I find it hard to believe that "esoteric" Tamoras/Tuscans will sell, unless the local factory concept is a sneaky way around horrific import tariffs.
Well, being a brazilian, I think I can answer these questions.
I really don´t know about Argentina or Chile, but the market for sport cars is really growing in Brazil since about 1994. Before that we couldn´t import any kind of car, due to "industry protection" reasons. Since then, Brazil is one of the largest markets in the 3rd world.
Just as an example, Ferrari sells here about 25 360 Modena per year; I know it is not a big number, but if you compare the price of a Ferrari and a TVR, you could expect to sell more TVR´s than Ferrari´s.
The project for the new factory is to start with about 200 cars for national market plus 120 cars for export.
And, regarding the quality, I can tell you that the Audi A3 produced here is recognized by VW as having a better quality than those produced in Germany, using the same references...
I really don´t know about Argentina or Chile, but the market for sport cars is really growing in Brazil since about 1994. Before that we couldn´t import any kind of car, due to "industry protection" reasons. Since then, Brazil is one of the largest markets in the 3rd world.
Just as an example, Ferrari sells here about 25 360 Modena per year; I know it is not a big number, but if you compare the price of a Ferrari and a TVR, you could expect to sell more TVR´s than Ferrari´s.
The project for the new factory is to start with about 200 cars for national market plus 120 cars for export.
And, regarding the quality, I can tell you that the Audi A3 produced here is recognized by VW as having a better quality than those produced in Germany, using the same references...
Unfortunately I don´t have any new information.
The only thing I know is that the project is "on hold", due to the Sept. 11th facts; some of the sponsors of the project had their offices in the WTC (I don´t know who they are), so they need to reorganize before investing their money here.
And, yes, there will be a race track near the factory, which will be used to test the cars during the week, and will be opened to the public during weekends.
There are some rumours saying that the Sao Paulo Formula 1 race would move to this new track, but personally I don´t believe that, at least for some years.
The only thing I know is that the project is "on hold", due to the Sept. 11th facts; some of the sponsors of the project had their offices in the WTC (I don´t know who they are), so they need to reorganize before investing their money here.
And, yes, there will be a race track near the factory, which will be used to test the cars during the week, and will be opened to the public during weekends.
There are some rumours saying that the Sao Paulo Formula 1 race would move to this new track, but personally I don´t believe that, at least for some years.
Just found this on a Brazilian website dated 25/09/2001. I believe things have moved on since then but it's still interesting (auto translated):
>> Edited by PetrolTed (moderator) on Friday 15th March 03:01
quote:
Nineteen months after announcement made in the Trade association and Industrial of Joinville, are each more distant time the construction of the plant of esportivos cars of the TVR in Joinville. The English and North American investors had at least bought the land. Now, the excuse to postpone the transaction is the new decurrent economic situation of attempted against terrorist and the imminence and the war in the East. Signal that so early the things do not go to leave - to be left - is implicit in the phrase of the director of the South American Sports Cars, Kevin Freyburg, in colloquy with the colunista, yesterday: "the investors are distrustful to apply the dollars in this conjuncture of uncertainties. The president of the South American Sports Cars, Creighton Brown said me that she goes to give a time until the situation if to normalize." Brown cancelled trip that would make the Santa Catarina.
>> Edited by PetrolTed (moderator) on Friday 15th March 03:01
I thought this was all secret - south american sportscars and their exciting investor building tvrs for the lhd market in brazil - a very good location because there is a healthy local market unlike Argentina and the benefit of manufacturing in Mercosur meaning tariff free sales in most key south american markets. Just wonder who those investors are....
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