Westfield Sales

[Buzz Billsberry]

Well speaking to some 'insiders' at westfield they are all happy with the future with lots of business on the go and are fully committed to 2009 and are as resolute to that commitement as the Honda F1 team is to competing ....

Buzz

[Mobsy]

they're up for sale as well then?  

It's a joke (probably).

[nikpro]

This is exactly my point though - a Westfield is seen as a kit car where as a Caterham is not.

'The Rich' view Caterham as a true high performance vehicle; which it is, and several of them spend money to buy an outstanding trackday/fun car.

Westfield are still viewed as a 'pikey' alternative because of the low value SDV end etc etc.

Arguements can go on all day as to which is better but the fact is Westfield are truely planted in the kitcar sector where as Caterham have moved away from that and are better for it.

The middle classes won't have any spare money over the next 5 years  especially when taxes go through the roof to pay for the last silly budget so they need to start appealing to the rich; which Caterham do really well, rather than trying to lure middleclasses with no money!

Go on Westfield - move upmarket and away from the Locost end of the spectrum; why would you buy a Westfield over a cheaper MK; leave the people who are going to build an SDV to the other manufacturers in an over subscribed market place.

It's because you can build an SDV for less than £8,000? that a £30,000 Westfield will not hold any residuals - why spend £20,000 on a used Westfield when you can have a new Westfield for less than £8,000; it's still a Westfield!

The cheap end of the Westfield market is badly devaluing the quality end IMO.

[Carl]

Yes but you can't just "move upmarket in a few years"

It'll take at least 5 years and alot of expense.

Ford have been trying it with the Mondeo for many years and despite the current car being excellant when compared to the Beemer it still isn't seen as "upmarket"

Unfortinately for small companies cost cutting is usually the only option in a recesion.

[bo selecta]

If they move upmarket,how many people on this site could afford to build/buy one.Im betting not many people,in the current financial slow down.....

[samcooke]

Middle market is safest.

I'd rather be a vw/bmw dealer now than a rolls/aston one or a vauxhall/kia one.

[nikpro]

Middle market is safest.

I'd rather be a vw/bmw dealer now than a rolls/aston one or a vauxhall/kia one.

I would like to wager that Aston/Ferrari sales haven't been hit as hard as the middle market sales

But it is not a car you are buying but a luxury toy!

Plus Westfield has moved down market in recent years - the conversation used to be:

Should I buy a caterham or Westfield

now it is

Should I buy a Westsfield or Locost/MK etc.

Potenza are more interested in global domination of the kit car scene than improving the Westfield Product IMO.

[thos]

I would like to wager that Aston/Ferrari sales haven't been hit as hard as the middle market sales

Ferrari sold 92 cars in November, compared to their normal average of 600 a month.

http://www.worldcarfans.com/9081208....-crisis

[Matt Seabrook]

The cheap end of the Westfield market is badly devaluing the quality end IMO.

Agreed  

[samcooke]

Damn my slow typing.

QUOTE

Ferrari sold 92 cars in November, compared to their normal average of 600 a month.

So if we can find out that VW's sales in november were better than 15% of their average I win?

[samcooke]

Taa-daaa

QUOTE

Volkswagen AG (Xetra: 766400 - news) :

* Says U.S. unit sales in November 14,295 vehicles, down 19.2 percent year-on-year

That's ferrari down 85%, vw down 19%.

I think I win.

Give me your car.

[nikpro]

That's not what this says though   :

Ferrari Sales in 2008

[thos]

That's not what this says though   :

Ferrari Sales in 2008

Well that is talking about the first 9 months .... other article is talking about November ... just highlights how bad things are for Ferrari if both articles are correct.

[nikpro]

Or a car manufacturer like Ferrari has huge fluctuations on a monthly bassis as they have a 2yr waiting list for their cars!

The economic downturn has been going all this year; not just November!

Ferrari are in profit so they aint that bad compared to GM, Ford Chrysler etc.

[samcooke]

QUOTE

Ferrari are in profit so they aint that bad compared to GM, Ford Chrysler etc.

Agreed, which is why I'd rather be a VW dealer

I wonder whether the decent start to 2008 for Ferrari was sales orders placed before the economic downturn and the slip in November sales is actually a slip in orders from about a year ago.

GM etc sales are from stock, not built to order.