Gumpert files for insolvency

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sumbrownkid
The open knowledge of Gumpert getting parts from the VW bin probably didn't help too. Some people are picky.
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Not really. KTM uses the Audi 2.0. Ariel used the Honda K20 for the longest time in the Atom. And Caterham uses Ford power, while Lotus uses Toyota motors.

But amongst exotics, you have Weissman and their BMW motors, Saleen and their Chevrolet motors, Pagani and their Mercedes motors, Koenigsegg their Ford motors and the Veyron has its Audi-derived 16-cylinder.

Let's not forget... Spyker (which was doing well before being mismanaged, buying a racing team and trying to take over Saab...) also uses an Audi engine.

Using off-the-shelf components is not a capital crime in the exotic world as long as you do something spectacular with them. And a good engine is a good engine, no matter what name is on the cam cover. The Audi V8 is a good one.
 
China is the big market. If you build up capacity specifically for China and China doesn't buy, then you've spent too much operational capital to continue.

Even though these cars sell for a truckload of money, most people don't understand how expensive an operation like this is, in the first place. Builders who make legitimately exotic exotics spend a lot of money in tooling, skilled labor and materials. That's why some of the most iconic supercars never make a single cent for their makers, who take multi-million dollar losses to fund these vanity projects.
 
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. 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.
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There has to be a tiny market for supercars designed solely for track work.

Anyone with a Gumpert Apollo sized budget who wants a car that's going to be used mostly or entirely on a track, is probably going to spend or invest that money on a proper race car and race it instead of just doing track days.

£250+k gets you some serious historic racing machinery that will not only be likely to return you some investment when you come to sell it, which almost certainly won't be the case with an Apollo, but it also provides a great social scene too.

The same amount of money will also stretch a long way for the more adventurous amateur driver to compete in the Pro-Am classes of contemporary GT racing including some pretty major events.
 
McLaren
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.
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Pagani started as a company in 1992. Koenigsegg started 1994. Well before global economy took a nose dive. They took many years before the they produced a car. Gumpert did it in two-three years. Quiet a risky but impressive move on Gumpert's part compared to Pagani or Koenigsegg, especially for a small car company producing hyper cars for a market that is decisively small in general. Pagani at least had a Carbon-Fibre business to fall back on.
 
No real surprise as the car was ugly as hell and (lets be honest) most people who have the money to buy it couldn't care less about technical performance and just want a posing car to massage their ego... which you can't do in this :lol:

Even the upcoming Tornante didn't look all that great, the company had no concept of style and you can't apply German reserved looks and a total focus on function to supercar products because it may work on a VW Golf but people expect much more drama when they are paying this sort of money.

I guess the MP412C still sells because its much cheaper so maybe the bland looks can be forgiven somewhat, plus it's not ugly... just dull.
 
sumbrownkid
Pagani started as a company in 1992. Koenigsegg started 1994. Well before global economy took a nose dive.
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Probably worth reminding that there was a global recession in the late 80s and early 90s too...

Seriously, the problem isn't the recession. The ultra-wealthy are rarely affected by such things. Gumpert simply didn't have a desirable product. That's the long and short of it.
 
Pagani Zonda was built around 120-130 times. That isn't a huge number too. And that is from a time frame of 10 years.

Apart from Gumpert, artega closed it doors because they could not handle the business.
If you look at the building Artega is in, it's crazy for a "start up" company. And there selling price didn't help too. Then the delays in production scared a lot of customers off.

Gumpert had the problem of the looks. It was sold only to ex racing drivers and pure breed gearheads. It wasn't a car to cruise around in Nice or Monaco...

I quite liked the Apollo, had a overly agressive and functional design and was basiclly a road legal race car you can take home and drive on the road (as opposed to the FXX's)
 
Whenever Pagani or Koenigsegg started matters little. What matters is that while they were building their cars, they had expenses and overhead that had to be paid.

I think Pagani did it right. Your overhead is shared with a parent company or sister company with which you share facilities (the carbon fiber concern) and on which you can fall back. Get the car right the first time and you can ride that design until long after the cows come home.

And don't.skimp.on.anything.important. Anything that the customer sees, feels or hears is important. A customer can tell when you've not spent money on the design. Or on basic construction or interior assembly (say... TVR). The car has to go great and sound great. People paying a lot of money expect something truly special.

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Doesn't explain Tesla Model S (terrible interior quality), but then, it's a product with no competitors and lots of "green" investment money.

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If only Gumpert had sold electrics, instead.
 
sumbrownkid
Pagani started as a company in 1992. Koenigsegg started 1994. Well before global economy took a nose dive. They took many years before the they produced a car. Gumpert did it in two-three years. Quiet a risky but impressive move on Gumpert's part compared to Pagani or Koenigsegg, especially for a small car company producing hyper cars for a market that is decisively small in general. Pagani at least had a Carbon-Fibre business to fall back on.
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As homeforsummer pointed out, there was a recession back then as well. Outside of McLaren (who still suffered low production numbers due to the economy), cars like the EB110 & XJ220 suffered as did numerous other supercars.

The move wasn't exactly impressive either considering that Audi already had an idea for a sports car in mind & it just so happened that Gumpert did as well, but more defined. All Audi had to do was agree to let Gumpert join in as long as he understood that the car would be a production car. With that being the goal, it's not surprising Audi wasted no time in getting the car done.

I'm quite positive Horacio or Christian didn't have that kind of backing from a manufacturer.

homeforsummer
Probably worth reminding that there was a global recession in the late 80s and early 90s too...

Seriously, the problem isn't the recession. The ultra-wealthy are rarely affected by such things. Gumpert simply didn't have a desirable product. That's the long and short of it.
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Yep. It's looks are constantly frowned upon & the interior doesn't exactly speak comfort for something that is supposed to still be useable on the road.
http://www.roogio.com/images/Gumpert-Apollo-Enraged-interior-seating-details.jpg
 
Gumpert Saved By New Investor
Now it seems that there’s a bit of good news to report: citing an unnamed Gumpert employee, De Telegraaf’s AutoVisie reports that Gumpert’s future has been guaranteed by a new and mysterious investor.

The company itself has yet to confirm the news, and a Gumpert spokeswoman told De Telegraaf, “Currently we cannot say anything about the future prospects of Gumpert.”

That sounds to us like the deal has been approved with a handshake, but not yet signed. Several investors were said to be interested in the German supercar specialist, though it’s not clear if any automakers were in on the bidding.

Assuming the deal doesn’t fall apart at the last minute, we hope to bring you an update on Gumpert’s status next week.
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MotorAuthority
 
I'm guessing the Russians are going to take it, where else would the cash come from?

Nevertheless, I still find it amusing that a small company like Gumpert can find investors willing to take risks, where a big engineering player like Lotus struggles for survival in the hands of DRB-HICOM. :confused:
 
I personally love the Apollo the design just gives me chills when i first saw it in real life I'm quite happy they've come back but once i realized I'm never gonna get one like never in my whole life i just feel sad.....
 
Good, a company that makes the Apollo should never go out of business. I do hope they find some stable footing though. I wonder if this incident will affect their future model line up.
 
The Apollo is a car with a great concept, in my opinion. Form follows function at its best, and that's rare these days. Dunno whether they'll manage to do well this time around, though. But I sure hope so.
 

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