Gumpert files for insolvency

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Nero9

Nero9

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My, oh my.

"These are tough times for niche automakers in Germany, with the small-time producers of some of our favorite sportscars going bankrupt. Just last week we reported on Melkus going belly-up, and last month Artega went down the same road. As if that wasn't enough to make our eyes water, now Gumpert is following suit."
"It has already filed for bankruptcy in court, which has appointed a lawyer to supervise the process. Gumpert points to disappointing sales figures in China as the culprit for its financial woes."

http://carbuzz.com/news/2012/8/30/Gumpert-Files-for-Bankruptcy-7710516/
 
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Doesn't help that their only product is a barely road-legal racing car with... challenging... looks.
 
I thought they already folded. Fast cars are neat, but they don't sell.
 
It's also not generally very good news when you hear absolutely nothing about a tiny supercar maker for several years.
 
I like the Apollo, it was much like that nerdy girl of your high school, smart, hard-working and competent, but lacking the personality and looks to attract attention.

It was a fantasy to think that you could put your hard earned fortune on one of these, when there's is a Lambo cheerleader and a Pagani actress rubbing their legs on you.
 
I still think the Gumpert looks as good as anything from those two. Better than the Huayra. And unlike a lot of other nice cars, it doesn't have a standout flaw. The entire thing looks nice and everything meshes with everything else.
 
Exorcet
I still think the Gumpert looks as good as anything from those two. Better than the Huayra. And unlike a lot of other nice cars, it doesn't have a standout flaw. The entire thing looks nice and everything meshes with everything else.
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Or, if you aren't blind, none of those things :sly:

Seriously though, I've always found it hideous. Not overly fussed that the company has folded, provided all three people who probably work there can find new jobs.
 
Hate to say it but daan is right, later gumpi!
Really though, only brands like this that I care for are caterham and radical.
 
daan
Pretty much, who? An ugly car with a silly name that won't be missed.
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I've been aware of both of those (Mekus,Artega) for some time now, quite good looking cars to boot... (so someone give me a gold star or something :lol:)

The Gumpert... yeah, for all it could do, it was definitely lacking something, and doubt very much it will be missed.
 
Bit of a shame. I thought they were on the verge of unveiling the "next-gen" (really just facelifted) Apollo here soon.
 
sumbrownkid
Even if it was ugly (I'm so and so about it), it was a unique car that came in at the wrong time.
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The success of other supercars during that time negates that sentence. Really, really high-end stuff has proven itself to be essentially recession-proof because the people who can afford hypercars generally aren't in the least bit affected by swings in the market. Pagani, Koenigsegg and all those lot are all still going strong, and even Aston Martin managed to pre-sell its utterly extortionate One-77s. And custom-modified supercars are bigger business than ever.

Sadly for the Apollo, I think its looks are just too challenging for supercar clientele. It proves that even the most tasteless of buyers still have their limits.
 
Those companies started and grew in the mid 1990s to early 2000s, when the global economy was still growing for the most part and loans were given out easily.

Gumpert came in right when the economies crashed, making it much more harder for new start up companies to survive compared to the established crews of Pagani and Koenigsegg, who already had a robust customer base and established brand history.

Come on, even rich folk like to buy the tried and true stuff.:)
 
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Rich people still like to spend their money wisely. An ugly car with no unique selling point other than performance matched by umpteen other hypercars isn't a good place to put your money.

However fast the Apollo is, a product will only sell if people want it. Can anyone honestly say they'd have an Apollo over another hypercar?
 
homeforsummer
Rich people still like to spend their money wisely. An ugly car with no unique selling point other than performance matched by umpteen other hypercars isn't a good place to put your money.

However fast the Apollo is, a product will only sell if people want it. Can anyone honestly say they'd have an Apollo over another hypercar?
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That question alone perhaps underlines Gumpert's main issue.
 
This is a market where investors are very wary about risks, due to small companies folding.

Perhaps something as big as Saab would attract investors... and it has, but politica keeps screwing that up... but a hypercar without the name recall of Lamborghini, Bugatti or even, say, Pagani, will not attract that big of a following.

The Apollo was a terrifically quick and well-screwed-together racecar, but put it beside other terrifically quick and well-screwed together racecars like e CCXR, the Zonda R and the FXX, and the rest have more brand recognition and market presence.

And they're all prettier. I've always felt the Apollo's side skirts and front end looked like they came out of the same fiberglass shop that supplied MAX POWER over the past decade. If you're selli a hypercar for big bucks, you've got to make it look like big bucks.

If Gumpert had focused as much attention on styling as they did performance, perhaps they'd have survived. But even then, I wouldn't hold my breath.
 
The open knowledge of Gumpert getting parts from the VW bin probably didn't help too. Some people are picky.
 
daan
Who?
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I'm with you here - Who?


Who?
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The Artega GT. Google it. :p

I didn't even know they went under but then again I don't follow auto news as closely as I once did anymore.... something I need to fix.

Pretty much, who? An ugly car with a silly name that won't be missed.
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Thems be fighting words, sir.

homeforsummer
However fast the Apollo is, a product will only sell if people want it. Can anyone honestly say they'd have an Apollo over another hypercar?
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That's a... relative question to be honest. I'd happily take an Apollo S as I love the way it looks and sounds, but throwing in a bunch of other choices (such as Koenigsegg) is naturally going to sway my initial desire for one. Just as putting me in front of a CCX or Agera and then offering me a Zonda F would.
 
Terronium-12
That's a... relative question to be honest. I'd happily take an Apollo S as I love the way it looks and sounds, but throwing in a bunch of other choices (such as Koenigsegg) is naturally going to sway my initial desire for one. Just as putting me in front of a CCX or Agera and then offering me a Zonda F would.
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That's the thing. Even for people who like it... there are plenty more cars out there. I think even the fairly wealthy may draw the line somewhere, after they've already got the FXX, Agera R, Zonda F on their driveway...

So many hypercars, so little time.
 
homeforsummer
That's the thing. Even for people who like it... there are plenty more cars out there. I think even the fairly wealthy may draw the line somewhere, after they've already got the FXX, Agera R, Zonda F on their driveway...

So many hypercars, so little time.
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The Gumpert was the track car out of all of them though. It was a car for people who want to drive on a track instead of the road. It would be high up on my list, and if I had the money and wasn't limited to just having 1-2 to cars I would probably own one.

Thrown in the sea of supercars, the Gumpert doesn't get lost behind Ferrari or Koeingesegg or Pagani for me. I think I'd rather have an Apollo than the first two.

But my choice isn't as relevant as the people who were in a position to buy I suppose.
 
Exorcet
The Gumpert was the track car out of all of them though. It was a car for people who want to drive on a track instead of the road.
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Err... You do realise the FXX and Zonda R can *only* be driven on a track, right? That makes them considerably more "track cars" than the Gumpert!

I know personal taste plays a part here but even to the Apollo fans it should be fairly obvious why the car isn't selling. It's looks are... "challenging", shall we say, and that's an insurmountable barrier for some. Throw in the fact it's up against some seriously desirable cars and the world just doesn't have a place for cars like the Apollo.

If you're going to make something hugely fast and hugely expensive it still needs other things to recommend it. Great styling and an interior that isn't like a collapsed Chilean mine are two good places to start.
 
sumbrownkid
Those companies started and grew in the mid 1990s to early 2000s, when the global economy was still growing for the most part and loans were given out easily.

Gumpert came in right when the economies crashed, making it much more harder for new start up companies to survive compared to the established crews of Pagani and Koenigsegg, who already had a robust customer base and established brand history.

Come on, even rich folk like to buy the tried and true stuff.:)
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Um, Koenigsegg & Pagani were established during a recession in the US as well & had to fight through them like everyone else did.

Koenigsegg & Pagani also did not reach the established base they are known for until the CCX & the Zonda F which came out at the exact same time the Apollo was being unveiled.

That "robust" customer base you're talking about was well under 100 people combined for both companies. I'd say in the last 7 years of production, that's right around where Gumpert is now as well which is good because it took Koenigsegg & Pagani over a decade to reach where they are now.

As of now, Gumpert is following through the exact same footsteps the Swedish & the Italians went through by sticking to one model & updating it over the course of a decade. The current issue for Gumpert is that it just doesn't have the looks the other 2 are praised for, though the Tornate is a great attempt.
 
homeforsummer
Err... You do realise the FXX and Zonda R can *only* be driven on a track, right? That makes them considerably more "track cars" than the Gumpert!
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I guess I read too quickly. I thought we were talking about road cars. Also, the FXX is a bit odd in that they only made 20 or so, they were basically only going to past Ferrari owners, and you had to participate in some schedule of driving events if I remember right. I don't know how many Zonda R's were made or who they sold them too, but I suppose that would have been a better option for someone who wanted to focus on the track if they didn't mind giving up being able to drive the car on the street.

I know personal taste plays a part here but even to the Apollo fans it should be fairly obvious why the car isn't selling. It's looks are... "challenging", shall we say, and that's an insurmountable barrier for some. Throw in the fact it's up against some seriously desirable cars and the world just doesn't have a place for cars like the Apollo.
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I accept that most think it's ugly and that it wasn't nearly as popular as other cars, just thought I'd give my opinion on it since I was one the people who actually liked it.

McLaren
Gumpert is that it just doesn't have the looks the other 2 are praised for, though the Tornate is a great attempt.
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To be honest, I find the Tornante as unappealing as I assume most other people find the Apollo. I guess I'm strange.
 

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