[Biomax]

I've been wavering in the teens at Star in Houston as people keep dropping off the list.

As great as it is to have my number keep dropping, I won't be able to take delivery until late Aug or early sept.

So talking w/ Wally this week has led us to decide to bump me down to the top of the 3rd order group.

We figure this will result in a late Aug early sept delivery (but really it's speculation as nobody knows allocation information right now).

What i want to say is the method that Star is using is what SHOULD be done everywhere.

I'm being moved down to 21 or so. Those people below me will move up one spot. Those below 21 will not change.

This is easy to do (should be at least) and would be the most appropriate way to treat people who have been on the list over 2 years.

i don't have to go to the end of the line, nor will they sell that spot to anyone off the street. Simple excel spreadsheet - cut me from #12, insert me between the current 20/21.

Anyway - just thought I'd pass this along. I'm incredibly impressed with Wally at Star Motor Cars, especially after reading what some of the dealers are doing.

Robert

 

[James A]

Star Motors and Wally Newcomb are terrific! And believe me Wally and Garth are true Lotus enthusiasts, it is more than just a another car or a job to them.

 

[roadrunner]

Jedi mind trick

That's what I was suggesting - perhaps they have been reading this other thread (link below) and have succumbed to my influence.

http://www.elisetalk.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2423

Yes! It's all about me! Again! Funny how that works...

 

[Canyon Carver]

Good to hear your best interests are being looked after.
I've been "bumping" one of my clients for almost two years on our 360 Spider list. He was having a new home built and didn't want the car until his Taj Majal of a garage could be completed.

 

[Guest]

Matheny Lotus in Jacksonville, FL seems to be doing the same.

I bumped from #30 to #23!

 

[Biomax]

he he he ...

We just bumped me back up in line.

Word is that an email went out yesterday from LCUSA regarding the number of cars to be delivered and the estimated timetable.

So my original slot put me where I wanted to be (aug/sept).

R

 

[Evl]

Did you manage to get an actuall allocation number from your dealer then??

 

[Biomax]

I won't divulge what he said actually incase it isn't supposed to be disseminated.

but he didn't get a monthly allocation.

Just x cars over the first x months.

Robert

 

[huggy bear]

I won't divulge what he said actually incase it isn't supposed to be disseminated.

but he didn't get a monthly allocation.

Just x cars over the first x months.

Robert

I received the same information too and I don't think we are ordering from the same dealer.

 

[Evl]

I received the same information too and I don't think we are ordering from the same dealer.

Huggy, are you willing to divulge??

So if we take the equation to be x cars/ x months, I guess that means one car per month on average.

 

[huggy bear]

Huggy, are you willing to divulge??

So if we take the equation to be x cars/ x months, I guess that means one car per month on average.

They were confirmed x number of cars between a range of months. In my case it AVERAGED 3 per month, but that doesn't mean that they will consistently get 3 every month. Maybe 2 the first month, 3 the next month as production ramps up, etc. I don't think they'd receive more that 4 or 5 per month from talking to them.

 

[Canyon Carver]

I hate to say it but I told you so Allocations aren't based on "x" number of cars per month, they're typically based on "x" number of cars per year.
We don't have our official allocation yet but I can tell you if it's 24 cars, that doesn't mean we'll recieve two cars every month.

 

[atyclb]

you mean every dealership is not getting 10 cars in the first month?!?!?!

 

[LarryB]

Derek- Wondering a bit about allocations if is it more of a commitment of what Lotus will give a dealer per year. Would that mean it’s not necessarily the total number they will build per year spread across the dealer network. In other words might Lotus use it as a carrot to give “extra” cars to preferred dealer. For example those with longer waiting list or keeping to MSRP?

 

[Canyon Carver]

This is how I invision the process takes place based on my dealings with the other manufacturers we represent:
Lotus sells the Elise to Lotus Cars USA, let's say for arguments sake $30,000, LUSA then sells the Elise to their dealer network for $35,000 and the end user purchases the Elise from their dealer for the suggested retail price of $39,985.
While Lotus may publicly say they do not condone the practice of a dealer selling for over MSRP they have no say so in the matter. If LUSA receives an allocation from the mothership of 2,000 units a year and they have to spread them across 40 dealers that doesn't mean every dealer will receive 50 cars at a rate of four cars per month. Some dealers will receive more, some less than that number. It's all based on projected market share.

Hopefully I' didn't just open another can of worms

 

[LarryB]

Hope not, that's pretty much how I've seen it dealt with. However didn't know therre were two middle-men, Lotus USA and the dealers.

 

[huggy bear]

Derek,

What's the invoice for the Elise?

 

[Canyon Carver]

Derek,

What's the invoice for the Elise?

I haven't seen or heard anything yet...

 

[Canyon Carver]

Hope not, that's pretty much how I've seen it dealt with. However didn't know therre were two middle-men, Lotus USA and the dealers.

Just think of Lotus UK the manufacturer, Lotus USA as the distributor and each of the dealers as representatives of the product. Each seperate entity has to make a profit from the other to stay in business.

 

[huggy bear]

I haven't seen or heard anything yet...

Would you please tell us when you do find out. Not like we'll get the car under MSRP, but it's just nice to know. Thanks.