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Thread: Is it pathetic to see supercars sold at a loss to be flagships of lesser brands?

  1. #1
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    Is it pathetic to see supercars sold at a loss to be flagships of lesser brands?

    For example Bugatti Veyron by VW group and Lexus LFA

    Both VW and lexus aren't really interested in ultra sport cars or in making money by manufacturing them.

    They just want prestige.
    As pathetic as status-seekers, poseurs and wannabe (persons) are, so will be this cycle of flagship cars sold at a loss?

    Did this happen in the past, say in the 20s/30s or 50s/60s?

  2. #2
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    Will this cycle boost or hinder supercar development in the long run?

    It might hinder them as true spirited supercar manufacturers have to compete with a product sold at a loss. High-end dumping?

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    I'm not sure it's pathetic. It's a bit of a devious marketing tactic, but I'm not sure marketing is really an issue for those sorts of brands. Koenigsegg and Pagani have only built a few hundred cars between them, and it's not because something like the Veyron is stealing all their business. As for the halo effect on lesser cars, I also don't think the impact on sales of regular VWs/Lexus' is so great that it can be called "pathetic".
    I think much of the world is just glad some companies have the money and resources to throw at something epic like the Veyron or LFA.
    All about the t-tops

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    Aston Martins were sold at a loss for much of the 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's.

    I think its brilliant when one is so committed to a car it's willing to sell it even at a loss. By the way there are other supercars from Toyota and VW which were (will be) sold at a loss, the Prius and the XL1.
    Lack of charisma can be fatal.
    Visca Catalunya!

  5. #5
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    yes, it has always happened.
    Look at the top end of any prestige car from a multi-marque company and it clearly didn't pay it's way
    Even the Arrols from 1910s had this issue with a "loss leader" that attracted many other sto buy the lower spec/capable models that large sales and profits came from.
    "A woman without curves is like a road without bends, you might get to your destination quicker but the ride is boring as hell'

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    isn't Ferrari owned/controlled by Fiat?

    The development of supercars these days needs a significant financial umbrella, because all safety and environmental requirements, let alone type approval and crash tests will add greatly to development costs and will most likely not be recovered from a small production run of cars.
    And yes the Veyron is pathetic, merely because Piech chose the wrong brand name (Bugatti was famous for its light cars) and furthermore named it after a driver whom Bugatti personally disliked very much.
    "I find the whole business of religion profoundly interesting, but it does mystify me that otherwise intelligent people take it seriously." Douglas Adams

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    You say Bugatti were famous for their light cars; arguably one of their most legendary cars, the Bugatti Royale, was anything BUT light...

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    Be grateful manufacturers are able to afford such indulgences. Most makers rely on the inspirational paradigm where buyers of their marque feel a link between their povo model with the flagship in the range.
    "A string is approximately nine long."
    Egg Nogg 02-04-2005, 05:07 AM

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    Quote Originally Posted by Lukeno52 View Post
    You say Bugatti were famous for their light cars; arguably one of their most legendary cars, the Bugatti Royale, was anything BUT light...
    perhaps that was the reason why they only managed to sell six cars...
    "I find the whole business of religion profoundly interesting, but it does mystify me that otherwise intelligent people take it seriously." Douglas Adams

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by henk4 View Post
    perhaps that was the reason why they only managed to sell six cars...
    Unveiling it just two years before the Great Depression musn't have helped either...
    Lack of charisma can be fatal.
    Visca Catalunya!

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