miglia speedster

[seanick]

With Andy's new 3500sq ft workshop, website, freshly re-tooled moulds and drawings, and a new range of freshly named and marketed cars on the way, how can a one man band at the other end of the country, from a small workshop be any real threat to world domination?

[mikmiglia]

Originally Posted by Psycho pops

Mike did you apply the red banding on the tyres or is that standard with that brand, a real neat finish by the way best of luck despite the aggro
Pops

Hi pops , yes the red bands look great and look good against the green . they were done by an 85 year old man, that has a machine that grinds the face of the tyre and then he spins the wheel with the machine whilst applying the colour. He also does white wall too. Nice man £40 a wheel

[tlrtone]

Personally I think there is a significant difference in both the Ribble and the Miglia.

Having built the original Sammio, and seen (and ordered) a Miglia speedster, there are similarities - it is curvaceous, got a hump, and you can sit in it to drive.

However, the difference is immediate. Long, fixed bonnet with vents, back end panels flow into clean lines with a different shaped hump, different shaped cockpit.

Another key motivator for me is the fact that this is a superbly finished kit, made by an expert in fibreglass and so I have a lot more confident that the parts will fit and I won't have to have the expense or time in finishing it.

I think that boths ends of the spectrum are being offered to the wily consumer that wants a 1950's spoorts car replica - if you want a cheap and cheerful kit to fettle and spend time cutting your own doors in, fixing your own hump(s) or making your own frame, and you like the look of the old Sammio models, then you have the Ribble. If, like me, you want to be able to have a differently styled kit which requires less time to build and less fettling, because driving it is what it is about, then get a Miglia.

I think the first 30 miglia kits are VAT free as well, so get in quick!

[GazDavies]

Seanick, Im not sure if that response is supposed to be serious or not, but I will answer anyway.

Do you beleive that Bentley saw Tribute Automotive as a threat? I doubt it but they still had a problem with his Bentley look-a-like and that didnt turn out too well.

I should note that I used Tribute Automotive as an example as I know that you are aware of their products and in no way would I wish to drag them into this.

You seem to either have a grudge against Andy or are a friend of Mike. Im sure some of those that are commenting positivly on the Speedster may have a problem should somebody buy one of the kits, shorten the bonnet and remould it and give it a new name (maybe something like a Ribble Navigator?).

[Viatron]

Gary, glad I'm not alone, I was beginning to think I was a lonely voice in the crowd!

[seanick]

Hi Gary,
No, I have met neither Andy or Mike, nor spoken to either.

You are totally right though, there is nothing to stop anyone copying an old design. If another Nickri appeared for sale, anyone could take it, modify it as they like, mould it and offer it for sale. Similar concept cars look similar. Its the same with boats. They are sharp one end, blunt on the other, and all look similar, but just a little bit different.

This point was made by lancelot link.

One has to wonder how large the market is for these cars anyway. With 127 Sammios out there I would have thought the market would be saturated by now. How they were originally sold for the price they were I dont know. I did do some costings and I could produce them in my workshop, but with my large overheads there would be no profit at all.

On the plus side though, this high profile forum discussion will probably boost sales for both companies. Look at retail parks, where Currys, PC word and Dixons stand side by side, or where petrol stations are next to each other. Seems crazy, but it works.

I moved my business a couple of years ago to another marina, moving into workshops right alongside another buisiness offering the same service. We have both benefitted, although we have to be quick getting the estimates out and stay on our toes or we lose a job to 'next door'. Once I had moved, my top employee left, and took on the lease for my old workshop, just one mile away! Hey ho, thats the way it goes.

I do hope both these producers jog along together and realise the benefits of each other. Time, effort and money spent on solicitors is wasted in my opinion. I just spent 3.5k with solicitors with zero result!

Peace , Love and Embrace.

Right, back to work!

[Viatron]

Seanick, I think the point is being lost here, it's not that someone has imitated the Ribble lineup, for me it's more the fact of who has done it and its been done with the clear knowledge of the effect it may have. If Mike had come clean at the start then Andy could have chosen to either walk away from the deal or they could have had some agreement up front which both were happy with. I may sound like I'm banging a drum here but having an almost identical business scenario myself some years ago, which I won in the end, I feel strongly that to some extent Andy has been legged over on the deal. You may say caveat emptor but that doesn't resolve the bad faith that I think has been shown buy at least one or more parties on the deal.

[Viatron]

Oh and on a lighter note I concur with the below

Peace , Love and Embrace.

:-)

[seanick]

I agree its a fine line, and also as its really not my area of expertise I shall leave it at that, and get back to the Tribute forum where I belong. Well I think I do anyway!

[AndyP57]

Seanick, I believe there are no barriers here. I'm sure you are as welcome on this side of the fence as anyone

[tlrtone]

Having spoken to Mike over the last few weeks, I don't think it was ever the intention to set up a competitive company. As far as I am aware he is going to offer a lot more in the longer term as he certainly has the skill and knowledge to do.

in the meantime, as Seanick says, a little competition is good for the consumer and will offer choice where there was not much before.

The more of the 1950's style of cars that there are around will certainly help create awareness and interest in the market.

Anyway, there may be 127 Sammio kits sold, but I reckon that only about 20 are on the road!

[Paul L]

Mike - First things, first, that is one seriously nice looking car.

As you know, I'd love to see more photos of the doors:
- How are the hinge mounted inside the doors & body shell?
- What do the door openings in the bodywork looks like?
- Similarly, the door profile, etc.
It would really give me something to aim for on my own build.

The only thing I would say on the legal front is check the small print.

[Edit]... Removed my example ... [/Edit]

The law is generally just that, the law, not an opinion, feeling, or moral position.

Hope you and Andy can work something out.

Good luck, Paul.

[tlrtone]

oooh, look what a bit of surfing came up with...

www.migliasportscars.co.uk

Looks like some of it is still work in progress, but I like the site

[garyh]

Looks very 50's...

[Nike55]

As someone who has dealt with Copyright Infringement, IP and 'Passing Off' claims within the London Insurance Market, I find this all very sad...

I can see where both parties are coming from (as per the thread comments) and can tell you the only winners will be in the solicitors costs department.

In an ideal world AndyP57 would recognise mikmiglias skill in design and fabrication and award him the title of Southern Agent, with the opportunity to build 'Ribble' vehicles under licence for a suitably small fee.

mikmiglia would of course be free to submit improvements to the design and production of Ribble-style vehicles for an agreed fee, but as an Agent/Consultant he could also fabricate non-Ribble style vehicles which he could offer to AndyP57 or elsewhere.*

mikmiglia would therefore become Batista 'Pinin' Farina to AndyP57's 'Enzo Ferrari'...

*What constitutes a 'Ribble' / non-'Ribble' style vehicle would be open for lengthy debate...

The colour of the sky in my world is pink with blue dots...

[oxford1360]

Originally Posted by tlrtone

oooh, look what a bit of surfing came up with...

www.migliasportscars.co.uk

Looks like some of it is still work in progress, but I like the site

Did you really need to "surf" to find it?

The reason that I ask is that the twitter id "tlrtone" is linked to a chap called Tony ******.

A chap with the same name with a Poole address is the registered owner (this is all in the public domain) of the web domain management28.co.uk.

This domain name (and same Poole address) is given as the registered owner of the domain silo14.co.uk

Silo14 is the company credited with the design of migliasportscars.co.uk

Furthermore, the domain migliasportscars.co.uk is also registered to Tony ****** of the same Poole address.

Like anyone else that reads this, I am just assuming that this is a massive coincidence.

[mikmiglia]

Its not a coincidence, he dropped into my workshop, and wanted one of my cars. And yes he builds websites, and very good onces too, very happy with what hes done. Highly recommended.

[oxford1360]

Oh........my fault, I must have missed the intended irony in his "oooh, look what a bit of surfing came up with..."

Thanks for clearing it up.

[mikmiglia]

no probs

[oxford1360]

Originally Posted by tlrtone

Looks like some of it is still work in progress, but I like the site

Ironic AND modest. Two good qualities.