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Rare, fast and endangered but still rolling along
Independent, The (London), Feb 10, 2004
The Peterborough company makes 150 cars a year powered by motorbike engines. The top model uses a Suzuki Hyabusa unit enlarged to 1,500cc, which delivers up to 250bhp - in a car weighing 500kg.
Most of these small makers are profitable and are on a sound footing, but some live in crisis and are periodically being reborn. Some are now finding that outsourcing their labour to cheaper countries helps contain costs, while others have more pressing problems.
Last week, for example, we learned from a reliable industry source that TVR sold just 182 cars in mainland Europe last year. TVR tried to take on the mainstream sports car market while still funding all its research and development itself, building as much as possible in- house and even creating its own engines.
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It has paid for this pioneering approach in warranty costs and a reputation for unreliability among those who expect mainstream-car standards.
Let that be a lesson for the whole, precious cottage industry. Stay small, and remember your roots.
Copyright 2004 Independent Newspapers UK Limited
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