Friday 8th August 2003

Aston Martin on Strike

oh dear...

---

[cerbman]

Strikes in Blairs Britain, so what's new?

[cirks]

I suppose if they strike long enough (ie for a couple more years) I may be able to afford the DB8 that I have my name down for

[ST170J]

Hope this doen't affect the AMV8 or the DB9 :O

[murcielago]

Strikes for Aston Martin??????
when was the last time that happened?
Aston say they're styling a car for the GT category at le mans in 2004, hope it doesn't affect it

[clunk click]

Thats what comes of having a boss like Ford. Regrettably a fact of life. Would there be an AM now if it was not for Ford. The devil & deep blue comes to mind.
Lets hope its over which out too much disruption

[cerbman]

clunk click said:

Thats what comes of having a boss like Ford. Regrettably a fact of life. Would there be an AM now if it was not for Ford.

No, but we would still have proper hand-made Astons not rebadged Jags (DB7)at twice Jag prices.

[v12bry]

Oh here we go again...Another anti-DB7 TVR driver!! Sorry cerbman, but I think you are being a little harsh. Truth is, Aston could nevr have developed the DB7 without borrowing bits from another car, fact of life I'm afraid. As for being the same car at twice the price, that's nonsense. When you see the man-hours that goes into making one of these fantastic cars then you might actually think they are UNDERPRICED! And they do drive well, especially in GT form. In my opinion, the GT is a better driver's car than a Vanquish.

[cerbman]

The truth is that the DB7 was going to be the F-type, but Ford bought Jaguar and it was decided they could get more money if the Astonised it, Ford/Aston deny this ofcourse. I do like the DB7 in the same way I like the X-type, but neither are what they seem.

[v12bry]

I know what you are saying, but the tuth of the matter is that David Brown, back in the sixties had plans for a DB7 (even got round to designing a badge for the car). Yes, the original F-type was canned, but it was done so to stop the two marques overlapping. The DB7 had been on the drawing board for a long time, but just didn't get the go-ahead because of Funding. Victor Gauntlett tried for years to get it off the ground. When he sold 75% to Ford in '87 it gave him the funds nd access to a huge engineering resource. Wont deny that the DB7 uses a lot of Jag underpinnings though. They charge more for the car because it costs a lot more to produce. I mean look at an XKR these days and the price difference between that and a DB7 Vantage isn't huge in real terms, yet the Jag is built to a cost. If anyone is overcharging, look at Jaguar.

[cerbman]

If Jaguar were allowed to develop the XKR the way they want to, few would buy a DB7.
Whatever you say Ford are bringing Aston down market, too affordable. For me the only "true" Aston of recent years is the V8 Vantage because even with a few cheap bits on it, it was still an Aston in the way it was built, a great car.

>> Edited by cerbman on Saturday 9th August 11:11

[ST170J]

If it weren't for Ford though then there is a good chance there would be no Aston's anymore.
I know I would prefer to have Aston's still in the market as opposed to not at all. Anybody else agree ???
If Aston is going down market because they are becoming too 'affordable' (which in my position is a joke,lol) then where does that put TVR in the scheme of things ??

>> Edited by ST170J on Saturday 9th August 11:21

[ST170J]

Back to the strike thing as this forum seems to have got away from the point.

Just taken this quote from the FT website :

"Unions at Land Rover accepted a raft of changes earlier this summer after Ford executives reacted to an earlier rejection by threatening to close its Solihull factory altogether."

Take heed Aston strikers !!

[cerbman]

In 1995 the Vantage was £186000 which is more than any currant AM. The new AM V8 will be well under £100000, in 911 territory.
As far as TVR are concerned they are £36-70000 because they are a less prestigeous marque than Aston, but I'm sure Ford will change that.
And I'm not a TVR owner, but I'd like to be.

[v12bry]

It is a sad fact of life that as companies get swallowed-up by bigger companies, their working practices can be changed to bring a certain commonality between the existing firm and the one bought in. Now as the company in question has been working a certain way for xyz years and now being asked to adopt an entirely different working practice, it is easy to see it from their point of view. If it aint broke, why fix it?

But times do change, and unfortunately that is the wonderful world of commerce. We have all had to adopt change in our lives, whether at work or personal.

I am in no position to comment on those working practices, but hopefully the strike is just a measure of bringing a bit of the workforce's feelings to the management and not a long term threat.