German sporstcar manufacturer Wiesmann files for bancruptcy

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http://www.spiegel.de/auto/aktuell/wiesmann-meldet-insolvenz-an-a-916840.html

Spiegel (translated) said:
The sportscar manufacturer Wiesmann has filed for bankruptcy. According to the local court of M?nster, the motion was brought forward on 14th of August. A spokesperson responded upon request that "the manufacturer filed for bankruptcy to be able to reorganize the company looking at the future".
The manufacturer claims to have built 1600 cars within the last 25 years. Wiesmann currently employs 110 people. The spokesperson denied to answer questions regarding the reasons for the financial difficulties. Nonetheless, one clearly sees a future for the company, dialogue with possible investors has already been taken up.

:(

Sad to see Wiesmann in trouble, I always liked their cars. But they're not dead yet, I'm sure they will live on.
 
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Shit. I really really loved Wiesmann. Guess they will be back in 3 years.
 
Too bad, I still remember seeing them in person for the first time at this dealership in Abu Dhabi more than 5 years ago. I've always liked them. Hopefully they'll be able to pull through.
 
actually yeah, i do see the odd wiesmann from time to time. not all the time, but there have to be a few around the place.
 
Saw several at the 'Ring and I'd have one if I could.
 
Been a big fan and they are quite local at my hometown so I?m quite sad about this news and hope someone can bring them back on track ... but with their recent cars, they went into the wrong direction. The classic MF3 roadster is brilliant and sold well ... but already the coupe GT MF4 these days the MF5 did not quite cut it designwise. Too hooligan. Not classy enough.
 
Der Spiegel had quite an interesting follow-up article about Wiesmann and the reason why it all went wrong. I can't be arsed to translate it right now, will possibly do so later.
 
Awwww man. I hope they recover from this. You just gotta love a carmaker that does things their own way like that, and gives all their cars names that start with MF.
 
Wiesmann - apart from a car what was it that they were selling? You know, like Toyota was selling piece of mind, Alfa style, Lotus raw racing, Land Rover Class and Go anywhere in style etc. What was Wiesmann's thing?
 
english cars with german reliability?
 
Wiesmann - apart from a car what was it that they were selling? You know, like Toyota was selling piece of mind, Alfa style, Lotus raw racing, Land Rover Class and Go anywhere in style etc. What was Wiesmann's thing?
In essence, this is what Der Spiegel also concluded. Wiesmanns became famous due to clever marketing and prestigious events, but as opposed to long-existing manufacturers, there was no actual substance, no pedigree to build an image upon. They just had what they had, a couple of roughly identical models with exclusive styling and solid engineering. But once the initial fame had worn off and the small niche market of those who can and also want to afford a Wiesmann was saturated, they were left with noone to buy their few products.
 
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In essence, this is what Der Spiegel also concluded. Wiesmanns became famous due to clever marketing and prestigious events, but as opposed to long-existing manufacturers, there was no actual substance, no pedigree to build an image upon. They just had what they had, a couple of roughly identical models with exclusive styling and solid engineering. But once the initial fame had worn off and the small niche market of those who can and also want to afford a Wiesmann was saturated, they were left with noone to buy their few products.
I disagree.
It is true that they build their reputation and first customerbase the way that the spiegel-article describes it, but I don?t think lack of "pedigree" is what eventually killed them.
IMHO they went down the wrong road stylingwise and ended up having their newer cars be quite badly looking, while the ones they started with were stunning ... as simple as that. If they had continued making stunning cars instead of monstrosities, they would still be going strong today. People loved the MF3 because the way it looked. You saw one, you wanted one. Easy as that. See a MF5 and go ... "so it must be really awsome to look that ugly" ... and then of course they just can?t deliver in terms of performance ... considering the price that is.
 
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