GTM Cars at Stoneleigh 2006
 

GTM Cars Ltd have apparently decided NOT to attand the National Kit Car Show at Stoneleigh this year.

I've been attending the show since way back in the '80s and was taken out of the show on a test ride by Paddy Fitch when I was looking at buying a GTM Coupe.

Is there ANY excuse for a company like GTM Cars not to be there???

Have they given a reason, or can't they be a***d to?

There could be many excuses.....as I have experienced the show from both sides these are my thoughts.

The make up of visitors, particularly at Stoneleigh, has a large proportion of existing kit car owners, many at the 'budget' end of the scale (no brands mentioned to prevent Kartman bashing....) who are very unlikely ever to buy a kit of the value of a GTM. The social side of Stonleigh is one of the big attractions of the event. Secondly, there are also a large proportion of 'one day I'm gonna build one of these kits' people, who can take up a lot of exhibitors time, when the real potential buyers get away. They may have taken the view that a 'real' buyer will attend the factory for a test drive, etc. From what I have noticed of GTM's marketing recently they have been going into non kit car type areas, such as the Telegraph.

Probably for GTM to attend the show, pay for the space, additional brochures, pay staff, etc will probably pay out something around £7-8K.

GTM are a business and I am sure they must of estimated the potential loss of not going against the expense. I am sure they did not just sit round a table and decide they could not be 'a***d'

Perhaps Kitcarman can bring something to this?

I hear what you are saying, but I attend Stoneleigh every year and expect GTM to be there like a kind of 'support' to the existing owners who give a lot of their time as unpaid salesmen (and women). I personally have been credited by two purchasers as being 'responsible' for pushing them into making that final decision. I am ALWAYS willing to open up the car, let people sit in it (within reason) when there are other things I could be doing. This year I have had 4 extensive e-mail conversations beginning: 'Hi Ferg, Sorry to bother you, but I'm thinking of buying a Libra...'.

I do this mainly because having owned GTMs for a long time I believe in the product and want it to succeed.

I currently have no intention of buying another GTM....and that isn't just because I really suspect I already own the final proper GTM model.

Thanks for listening.

Ferg

You make a valid comment....also sounds like you suspect something is going on? But......

Owners are the backbone to a manufacturer - even in my little foray into manufacturing the existing owners were a great support, and I put them in contact with each other via a forum. But on the whole kit car operations are not mega profitable business's, and £8K would pay for around a years advertising in a magazine, and I would suggest it is difficult to justify spending that just for existing owner support. They would be better off saying they will give you £250 or so for every sale you are responsible for.

You there all weekend? I'm going up Sat PM and home Sunday eve?

With all due respect.... GTM Cars are a company owned by a large group who paid hansomely for it. They also seem intent on pushing upmarket almost to the point where you feel they might leave kit sales behind if they could....

The gestation period of the Libra and subsequent Spyder was more than 3 year (alegedly) and the results are there for all to see. Whether it is profitable enough is unknown outside of the company, but we assume the figures stacked up at the time of the buy-out.

Cosmetic tweaking won't be enough to keep it ahead of the rest, certainly I don't want a re-styled Libra. So where is the new car??? Hmmm.. maybe it's on it's way, but whatever, the Stoneleigh show is the one place they should be.

I'll be there from Saturday pm onwards, I'll seek you out!!

Easy tiger......!!!

IIRC NG Cars were brought by a 'large group who paid hansomely for it' and they disappeared not long after.....

If they are entering new markets the cars will be 'fresh' to it. Nice trick if you can pull it off.

See you for a beer on Saturday......

Ha ha ha ha ha ha! :)

And the irony of that NG story is, of course, the previous management at GTM picked up NG after the 'Pastiche' debacle and sold them on in much better health....

Beer is good!!

F