If they’ve got money to invest into the future we should welcome it! I read the Tony Fernandez AirAsia has loses of $15billion, so I guess he’s doing the millionaires equivalent of looking down the back of the sofa!
As it happened on or near April 1st, I expected to find some other source confirming the news, but I haven't. Nothing on Caterham's pages that I could find, nothing on VT Holdings pages that I could find at http://www.vt-holdings.co.jp/eng/, and nothing anywhere else except for pistonheads and now jalopnik, which aren't exactly at the same level as the BBC. I suppose we'll all know one way or the other in a day or three, but any significant news on or about April 1st without corroborating sources always leaves me wondering.
Derek, what is your beef with this takeover? As Giles pointed out, CC has been foreign owned for the last 10 years. Now at last there is an owner with a rich racing pedigree, responsible for 25% of all 7s sold and presumably with the financial muscle to drive the company forward and prepare it for testing legislative times ahead. Assuming it's genuine, what's not to like?
Have to say I agree. Outside of UK, no place reveres the 7 as much as the Japanese. Could have been a lot worse (profit-seeking American business conglomerate).
Re #7, Derek, I think the largest British owned car manufacturer is now either Ginetta or Ariel.
Jaguar and Land Rover are Indian owned
MG is a Chinese company
Mclaren is majority owned by a Bahrain company
Morgan is Italian owned
Lotus is majority Chinese owned
Aston Martin is not really owned by any specific country, being publicly traded, but is mainly Canadian / German controlled
Vauxhall is French owned
Rolls Royce, Mini and Bentley are German owned
TVR (if it starts manufacturing again) is Russian owned.
I've probably missed a few, but Caterham is the norm for a foreign owned car company that still manufactures in the UK and used to be British owned in the past.
I think TVR has been back in British ownership for some time , not that anybody has been able to buy anything from them yet .
I welcome the news - Japan absolutely gets the Seven and its status there is even higher than here , I suspect . My only slight disappointment is that a Geely takeover didn't happen, as they could have brought the Seven back into the Lotus fold, thus avoiding the interminable discussion on the club name . That said , you'd want to sup with a very long spoon if you are dealing with a country whose expansionism is such a worry and whose human rights record is a disgrace .
If we end up with a Caterham dealer in Spain, I'm all for it. :)
If they’ve got money to invest into the future we should welcome it! I read the Tony Fernandez AirAsia has loses of $15billion, so I guess he’s doing the millionaires equivalent of looking down the back of the sofa!
April fools, possibly?
Bloody hope so Sean ,
derek
As it was leaked and published late evening on Friday 2 April, It'd be pretty weird if it was
Giles Hudson
AR, Bear 7s
As it happened on or near April 1st, I expected to find some other source confirming the news, but I haven't. Nothing on Caterham's pages that I could find, nothing on VT Holdings pages that I could find at http://www.vt-holdings.co.jp/eng/, and nothing anywhere else except for pistonheads and now jalopnik, which aren't exactly at the same level as the BBC. I suppose we'll all know one way or the other in a day or three, but any significant news on or about April 1st without corroborating sources always leaves me wondering.
Derek, what is your beef with this takeover? As Giles pointed out, CC has been foreign owned for the last 10 years. Now at last there is an owner with a rich racing pedigree, responsible for 25% of all 7s sold and presumably with the financial muscle to drive the company forward and prepare it for testing legislative times ahead. Assuming it's genuine, what's not to like?
Have to say I agree. Outside of UK, no place reveres the 7 as much as the Japanese. Could have been a lot worse (profit-seeking American business conglomerate).
Re #7, Derek, I think the largest British owned car manufacturer is now either Ginetta or Ariel.
Jaguar and Land Rover are Indian owned
MG is a Chinese company
Mclaren is majority owned by a Bahrain company
Morgan is Italian owned
Lotus is majority Chinese owned
Aston Martin is not really owned by any specific country, being publicly traded, but is mainly Canadian / German controlled
Vauxhall is French owned
Rolls Royce, Mini and Bentley are German owned
TVR (if it starts manufacturing again) is Russian owned.
I've probably missed a few, but Caterham is the norm for a foreign owned car company that still manufactures in the UK and used to be British owned in the past.
James
I think TVR has been back in British ownership for some time , not that anybody has been able to buy anything from them yet .
I welcome the news - Japan absolutely gets the Seven and its status there is even higher than here , I suspect . My only slight disappointment is that a Geely takeover didn't happen, as they could have brought the Seven back into the Lotus fold, thus avoiding the interminable discussion on the club name . That said , you'd want to sup with a very long spoon if you are dealing with a country whose expansionism is such a worry and whose human rights record is a disgrace .