MG Rover goes for sporty gloss

Unknown member · Apr 12, 2002

This must be the place for Caterham - just another press release on the same story:

Financial Times; Apr 10, 2002 - By JONATHON GUTHRIE

Caterham Cars, manufacturer of the iconic British sports car celebrated in The Prisoner TV series, has signed an exclusive engine purchasing deal with MG Rover, writes Jonathan Guthrie.

Under the agreement, Dartford-based Caterham will display branding for XPower, the high performance engine business of MG Rover, on its racing and road cars. This fits the strategy of the Midlands-based business of giving its distinctively British brand a sportier gloss. Caterham is best known for the Seven, a fast road car that can double as a racer at weekends. Designed 40 years ago by Colin Chapman, founder of Lotus, it is most recognisable in green with a yellow nose cone, the form in which it featured in the surreal 1960s cult TV series, The Prisoner, starring Patrick McGoohan.

Caterham will now buy all its engines from Powertrain, the power and gearboxes business acquired by MG Rover last year. Andy Noble, sales and marketing director of Caterham, said it would purchase 600-800 units a year at a cost of Pounds 3m-Pounds 4m.

John Sanders, marketing director of MG Rover, said the deal could pave the way for "a much deeper relationship" between the two companies.

"We are both in the racing business and our products share the same engines. We can both exploit the strength of the XPower brand."

Copyright: The Financial Times Limited 1995-2002

Guest · Apr 12, 2002

Powertrain revved up by Caterham engines deal

The Birmingham Post - United Kingdom; Apr 10, 2002
BY JAMES O'BRIEN

Sports car builder Caterham Cars has chosen Xpower K-series engines built by MG Rover Powertrain in a confidence-boosting deal announced by the companies yesterday.

The contract gives the engines more exposure on the world's racing circuits and MG Rover believes it is another way of winning sales from rival manufacturers.

This is the first in a number of specialised deals Powertrain is expected to announce in the future.

Caterham, a privately-owned company which builds its cars in Surrey, chose MG Rover Powertrain as its sole supplier because the engines delivered power and were lightweight.

The Caterham is the world's most widely-raced car, with 500 registered Caterhams competing every weekend.

Gordon Poynter, commercial director of Powertrain, said the contract was won against strong competition.

'In addition to its power and light weight, the K series engine has reliability and cost in its favour,' he said.

'Powertrain has a clear business future as part of Britishowned MG Rover and Caterham is showing its confidence in the business.

'It will use our engines and gearboxes exclusively and the company will work with our designer and engineers at Powertrain.'

Mr Poynter said Caterham had been a customer for more than ten years but not on a exclusive basis. Previously the company had bought engines from General Motors.

MG Rover bought Powertrain from *** 11 months ago, but the German company had not developed the engine.

Looking at the marketing potential, Mr Poynter said people who owned three or four cars often had a Caterham and if they saw MG Rover's association it could lead to the owner buying an MG Rover and deserting another manufacturer.

John Sanders, group marketing director of MG Rover Group, said the link with Caterham was not a first step towards buying the company.

Caterham makes only a small number of cars each year, but is now planning to build about 1,000 annually. Its range starts at pounds 12,950 and rises to pounds 20,700 for the 125mph Superlight, which costs pounds 22,200 factory built.

With the announcement of its model range for 2002, Caterham is starting out on its most ambitious sales drive since it took over the Seven production rights from Lotus in 1973.

The programme will see Caterham expand in Germany, which has big potential for the cars.

Simon Nearn, managing director of Caterham, said the MG Rover and Xpower brands could be taken into global markets.

'The Caterham Seven will be 45 years old next year and our job with that car is to take the new model forward with the Xpower K series engine and deliver it to as many people as we can,' said Mr Nearn.

The deal was announced at a presentation hosted by radio DJ and Caterham enthusiast David 'Kid' Jensen at MG Rover's Longbridge plant.

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