Peels on Dragons Den Tonight.

[Jim Janecek]

ooo.. Board Games!   I hear the kids will love those!

 

[blob]

‘The first X million people through the door at Ripleys, there’ll be at least one kid that will buy one’…

This pair have completely misunderstood what the product is, it was never a ‘toy’ not even in it’s day was it marketed as such, it was sold to 16 year olds but as a real car for a particular market. Ok there’s still a niche market, but there are also plenty of other miniature cars sold as toys, because they are toys. Obviously it’s cheaper to re-brand an existing product, then build a rival to GWhiz… so who owns the rights for Brutsch!

[Bob Purton]

Its a funny old business! As Planty said, there are electric toy cars that are sold just about everywhere , little Range rovers and Porches just like dads real one which kids will prefer, the kids will not remember a Peel as being a part of British motoring history and neither will 99.9% of there mums and dads. I grew up in the 1950's, 60's and had never even heard of a Peel until 1995! It will only be a nostalgia thing to a tiny tiny few. I really cant see the thing going further than fulfilling there orders to Ripleys. I'm curious to know how this will effect Andys replica business, is this the end of his reign? Can he still produce cars unbadged or is the body shape protected? Dont know.

[Big Al]

just you do not like the idea of more Peel replicas

If it were down to me I'd burn the lot of them, but that's my opinion. Seriously though I prefer concepts to be developed, for instance I think the basic Porsche design has been developing since the 30's, I like the idea one can trace it's lineage from it's shape. The initial Peel design was a product of it's time and I think the new owners should respect that and be as creative in their approach for 2010.


... So let me get this straight, Microcars albeit small are real cars in their own right, now it seems they're toys for kids.

Correct. But is a genuine Microcar possible to build at an economic rate under modern legislation and marketing regimes? I think not and thus the point becomes that these cars are a product of their age, when there was still freedom to design and innovate rather than comply and convert. Is that why the majority of cars available today are very much the same package with differing badges on. Even Porches are not as interesting as they used to be!

[Big Al]

Intersting item on DD. Analysis correct, James Caan risks nothing. The project is profitable but hamstrung by being tied to a contract. I suspect that might be the Andy Carter effect as why would you do this save to prevent a competitor under pricing you. Having done this the construction of cars can only start at the end of the contract period. So if this is a free advert what was advertised that I can buy? Andy Carter by default?
However the notion that there is a marketing opportunity created by the exposure of Peels by Ripley and the media is correct. I can see that yet I am not so sure you need a Dragon to help. Then we do not know what else these guys are into as businesses. A third share of a lot can be better than half of next to nothing to a busy man. Do not be surprised to see Peels get in some Holywood film or something. The business is there but not as RUMcar see it as we know about the real cars. The buying public know nothing so the image is all and the image is good enough to create interest.
So the two chaps were made to look silly, err that is television guys, that would have been a mornings filming at least. TV is a deal with the devil but sometimes it can be worth it. As an aside I am told that since Top Gear had rolling Reliants on screen there has been a rash of yobbos turning Reliants over, even with the drivers inside, as a 'joke'. Not a great development for trike owners and shows the damage that such programmes cause in the name of entertainment and extra money for the presenters. Thanks Clarkson, you continue to muck up my hobby.
Andy Carter? Should think he is worried enough to lay up a few more shells as this company has been about for sometime and not really harmed him as yet. If they succeed then he makes more of his replicas as Peel Engineering cannot sell theirs on the open market. The worst is he has to call them a Ventnor P50 or something. Otherwise I think he will be doing rather nicely out of this.

[Bob Purton]

The two guys appear to be not short of a bob or two to start with and didn't really need Jim's 80K otherwise they would not have offered his money back if it failed. These guys were paying people 100 smackers just to bring there peels along to the party last night, does this sound like they need the money?!The conclusion is free advert in advance for future products, remember this program is repeated time and time again on the Dave channel or some other, probably way past the Ripley contract finishing. Or as Al says, get in with a dragon for the sake of other non peel related ventures. Smart guys!

[Chris Thomas]

Dear Friends

Having seen the program it did cross my mind, Who has produced the bodies for the two cars? and who has done the development work for the suspension/ electric drive train. Could it be people we know?

Regarding the sales projections of branded products like toy cars and the like, There is a world wide market for such things which has been expanded by Jeremy C and could expand further. What is to say that they expand into Scmitts and Isetta's with the branding.

There is no way a new road going P50 would ever pass the car safety tests but could possibly get through the Quadricycle regs, but would need some modifying, Therefore these vehicles are destined for non road use. They will be easily distinguished by being electric and their raised awareness could make the total P 50 and Trident market go up. We shall see. It will be interesting to see what happens as it could be a model for other similar projects. Somebody still owns the Bond name and others presumably own the the Nobel and Trojan names. 

The Microcar could yet return to the British roads

Chris Thomas

[Daniel Rodd]

last i heard was that Jonathan Heynes,the last real manager of Reliant,he who bought it in 1996,and was booted out by his idiotic backers in the late 90s,ownd the bond brand and was last heard to be in charge of the microcar import network,trading as Bond cars,or something very similar

[blob]

The Microcar could yet return to the British roads

There are already Microcars on the roads once more, but they’re the modern equivalent, the alternative for Peel would be to enter as a contender instead of the novelty they’re being promoted as. After all image is everything if you truly want the Peel legacy to continue, though the re-brand does little for the pedigree the original designs now have and is more reminiscent of Hamleys toys.