#251754 - 16/03/2005 08:04
Stolen Nobles
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pooh-bah
Registered: 16/04/2002
Posts: 2011
Loc: Yorkshire UK
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"3 brand new Noble Cars, stolen from the factory": BBC Crimewatch, last night. Don't worry, I've given them a link to Hugo's photo!  
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Politics and Ideology: Not my bag
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#251755 - 16/03/2005 08:43
Re: Stolen Nobles
[Re: boxer]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 06/02/2002
Posts: 1904
Loc: Leeds, UK
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How do you steal a car right from the factory ???
Inside job ???
Cheers
Cris.
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#251756 - 16/03/2005 09:13
Re: Stolen Nobles
[Re: boxer]
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old hand
Registered: 14/04/2002
Posts: 1172
Loc: Hants, UK
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Didn't see it last night but I saw a thread on PistonHeads just after the theft. They would be unsaleable in the UK because of the very small numbers around. They've probably gone to Africa or Russia/Eastern Europe, but as the website mentions they aren't homologated in any other countries: http://www.bbc.co.uk/crime/crimewatch/appeals2.shtmlGareth Ps. Nice factory photos here: http://www.technique-ltd.co.uk/noble/
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#251757 - 16/03/2005 09:21
Re: Stolen Nobles
[Re: Cris]
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old hand
Registered: 14/04/2002
Posts: 1172
Loc: Hants, UK
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Quote:
How do you steal a car right from the factory ???
Inside job ???
As you can see from the photos the "factory" is just a unit on a normal industrial estate, it probably has roller shutters and a normal alarm system, so they would have either disabled the alarm or known how long they would have to get into the cars and out again. I imagine they either hotwired the cars or knew where the keys were stored.
Interestingly, in December there was a programme called "The Heist" one episode in which the team were tasked to steal a prototype TVR Sagaris (with the permission of TVR!):
http://www.pistonheads.com/tvr/default.asp?storyId=9584
They ended up by diverting the (unsuspecting) lorry driver to a fake security gate where they asked him to speak to somebody on a phone in a hut, and then closed the door behind him.
Gareth
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#251758 - 16/03/2005 10:04
Re: Stolen Nobles
[Re: g_attrill]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 06/02/2002
Posts: 1904
Loc: Leeds, UK
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I kinda figured it would have been a bigger operation than that! My brother works at Aston Martin, I guess they are more like a mass production outfit than Noble. I forget how many they make a day there, but I'm guessing it's more than Noble have in their entire factory at one time  I guess this makes the loss even more painful for Noble, you would have thought they would have CCTV at least. Cheers Cris.
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#251759 - 16/03/2005 11:15
Re: Stolen Nobles
[Re: Cris]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 10/06/1999
Posts: 5914
Loc: Wivenhoe, Essex, UK
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Aston Martin make thousands of cars a year nowadays (though most are at their new hi-tech factory).
I don't think Noble make more than a few dozen a year at the moment.
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Remind me to change my signature to something more interesting someday
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#251760 - 16/03/2005 12:00
Re: Stolen Nobles
[Re: Cris]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 16/04/2002
Posts: 2011
Loc: Yorkshire UK
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Quote:
My brother works at Aston Martin
Great! Any chance of a staff discount?
_________________________
Politics and Ideology: Not my bag
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#251761 - 16/03/2005 12:48
Re: Stolen Nobles
[Re: boxer]
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old hand
Registered: 14/04/2002
Posts: 1172
Loc: Hants, UK
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Quote:
Quote:
My brother works at Aston Martin
Great! Any chance of a staff discount?
I wonder if Ford workers can get discounts off Astons? I know they can get discounts off other brands in the FMC family. A friend's grandfather worked for Ford for many years and they can lease cars on a stupidly cheap deal. For outright purchasing it's something like 30% off list price.
Gareth
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#251762 - 16/03/2005 13:01
Re: Stolen Nobles
[Re: andy]
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veteran
Registered: 01/10/2001
Posts: 1307
Loc: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Quote:
Aston Martin make thousands of cars a year nowadays (though most are at their new hi-tech factory).
Bristol makes 2 a week - was fun to listen to Tony Crook, the manager/owner telling how they totally ovverreached trying to make 3 s week in the "crazy" 80's. Morgan makes several a day, so they are a high-volume manufacturer, and Aston is saaembly-line mass manufacturing. Don't know the volumes of chaterham.
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#251763 - 16/03/2005 13:54
Re: Stolen Nobles
[Re: g_attrill]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 16/04/2002
Posts: 2011
Loc: Yorkshire UK
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Quote:
it's something like 30% off list price
Wot, 60% of the profit margin?
_________________________
Politics and Ideology: Not my bag
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#251764 - 16/03/2005 13:58
Re: Stolen Nobles
[Re: julf]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 16/04/2002
Posts: 2011
Loc: Yorkshire UK
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Quote:
Don't know the volumes of chaterham
@500 a year.
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Politics and Ideology: Not my bag
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#251765 - 16/03/2005 14:15
Re: Stolen Nobles
[Re: g_attrill]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 05/01/2001
Posts: 4903
Loc: Detroit, MI USA
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Quote:
I wonder if Ford workers can get discounts off Astons? I know they can get discounts off other brands in the FMC family. A friend's grandfather worked for Ford for many years and they can lease cars on a stupidly cheap deal. For outright purchasing it's something like 30% off list price.Gareth
Ford employees (and their family members, wink, wink) get discounts on all of Ford's brands. So, if I could afford one, I could get an employee discount on an Aston. They also offer employee rates on Jaguars, Volvos, Land Rovers, Fords, Mercurys, Mazdas and Lincolns. The discount varies widely from car to car and depends on the profit margin for that car. When I got my Focus, I didn't save much money at all because there is so little profit margin on a Focus. But for people buying pickup trucks and SUVs, they can save a lot.
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Brad B.
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#251766 - 16/03/2005 15:12
Re: Stolen Nobles
[Re: boxer]
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Pooh-Bah
Registered: 13/04/2001
Posts: 1742
Loc: The land of the pale blue peop...
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I think caterham is over 600 a year. Biggest race car manufacturer in the world as more of their cars end up on track per year then anyone else.
_________________________
P.Allison fixer of big engines
Mk2+Mk2a signed by God / Hacked by the Lord
Aberdeen Scotland
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#251767 - 16/03/2005 16:10
Re: Stolen Nobles
[Re: boxer]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 06/02/2002
Posts: 1904
Loc: Leeds, UK
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Quote:
Great! Any chance of a staff discount?
Ahh! Note the careful grammar, "works at" not "works for". Just like most major corperations these days they are affraid of taking on their own staff, he works for a logistics company that gets the parts to the line. He has a desk approx 20 feet from the end of the DB9 production line. It's all top secret stuff, I wanted some photos, but he isn't even allowed his camera phone anywhere near the line 
But even with a 30% discount, I would need to sell my soul to the devil to buy an Aston Martin!
Cheers
Cris.
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#251769 - 16/03/2005 16:44
Re: Stolen Nobles
[Re: andym]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 24/12/2001
Posts: 5528
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Quote:
It's okay Cris, here picture of a DB9 to keep you going...
Oh wow... 0 to 230.4kbps in 1 second...
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#251770 - 16/03/2005 18:05
Re: Stolen Nobles
[Re: andym]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 16/04/2002
Posts: 2011
Loc: Yorkshire UK
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Quote:
It's okay Cris, here picture of a DB9 to keep you going...
Best post of the silly season: I had a large Scotch before I read that!
_________________________
Politics and Ideology: Not my bag
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#251771 - 16/03/2005 18:18
Re: Stolen Nobles
[Re: andym]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 06/02/2002
Posts: 1904
Loc: Leeds, UK
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Quote:
Maybe not your soul, but possibly your house.
Silly me, I had forgotten I have already given my soul to the bank
Only 24 years 9 months until I get it back though
Cheers
Cris.
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#251772 - 16/03/2005 20:52
Re: Stolen Nobles
[Re: boxer]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 19/05/1999
Posts: 3457
Loc: Palo Alto, CA
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(fx: sneaks out to the garage to check it's still there....) Crimewatch isn't very current, ISTR they were stolen many months ago. A few people on PH spotted one of the cars but the police didn't manage to follow up quick enough from what I understand Hugo
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#251773 - 16/03/2005 23:04
Re: Stolen Nobles
[Re: andy]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 12/11/2001
Posts: 7738
Loc: Toronto, CANADA
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They must make way more than a few dozen. I'm willing to bet 1GRacing in the US brings a few dozen to North America alone (these are supposedly manufactured in South Africa - where they likely build the RHD models as well).
Their website says they plan to make about 200 M14's per year. I'm just wondering if I should get my name on the list now or wait until I actually see the money materialize in my account.  might as well plan a few years ahead, right? Noble. Must. Make. LHD. Version. *breath* Must resist selling house to buy one (well, I could probablly get 3 for that much, but I should probably find another house).
Bruno
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#251774 - 17/03/2005 07:17
Re: Stolen Nobles
[Re: altman]
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Pooh-Bah
Registered: 13/04/2001
Posts: 1742
Loc: The land of the pale blue peop...
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The nobles are damn nice cars quite quick in a straight line and not too shoddy round the twisty bits, there is 2 that go to knockhill alot and they are amongst the quickest out there. But would hate to think of the costs if you were to bin one, but i will say the TVR days at knockhill are entertainment, you take bets on how many are going to expire in a cloud of cogs and springs. Strangely the TVR days are run by a TVR garage who always bring along an empty transporter. Hugo you should bring the noble up to scotland some day Knockhills a nice circuit and the roads north of there are brilliant. A friends site here lists most of the trackdays etc that are on as they aren't through the normal channels like easytrack etc. http://www.hoymotorsport.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/dates/year.htm
_________________________
P.Allison fixer of big engines
Mk2+Mk2a signed by God / Hacked by the Lord
Aberdeen Scotland
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#251775 - 17/03/2005 07:58
Re: Stolen Nobles
[Re: thinfourth2]
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old hand
Registered: 14/04/2002
Posts: 1172
Loc: Hants, UK
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Here are the UK 2004 sales figures. It would be interesting to have "Other UK" broken down further really: (obviously this is UK sales, not production)
Ford 367,158
Vauxhall 325,012
Renault 189,342
Volkswagen 181,897
Peugeot 167,822
Toyota 121,081
Citroen 105,596
BMW 102,200
Honda 91,241
Nissan 90,223
Mercedes-Benz 81,963
Audi 77,039
Fiat 72,825
Mazda 47,739
Rover 44,779
MINI 43,660
Land Rover 41,401
Volvo 40,005
Hyundai 37,611
Skoda 35,029
Suzuki 33,656
Kia 33,419
Seat 33,228
Jaguar/Daimler 32,535
MG 31,989
Mitsubishi 22,573
Saab 20,294
Daewoo 17,560
smart 11,844
Lexus 10,047
Chrysler 9,312
Subaru 8,823
Porsche 8,622
Alfa Romeo 8,072
Jeep 6,918
Daihatsu 4,141
Bentley 1,993
Proton 1,754
Other Imports 1,640
Other British 1,351
Ssangyong 928
Lotus 879
Perodua 760
Aston Martin 636
Isuzu 510
Tata 162
Total 2,567,269
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#251777 - 17/03/2005 11:27
Re: Stolen Nobles
[Re: hybrid8]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 10/06/1999
Posts: 5914
Loc: Wivenhoe, Essex, UK
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Quote:
(these are supposedly manufactured in South Africa - where they likely build the RHD models as well).
They don't do all of the build in South Africa, the cars (the RHD ones at least) are completed in the UK.
_________________________
Remind me to change my signature to something more interesting someday
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#251778 - 17/03/2005 15:41
Re: Stolen Nobles
[Re: g_attrill]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 06/02/2002
Posts: 1904
Loc: Leeds, UK
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WOW! 162 people bought a Tata !!! Amazing! Cheers Cris.
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#251779 - 17/03/2005 17:50
Re: Stolen Nobles
[Re: Cris]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 16/04/2002
Posts: 2011
Loc: Yorkshire UK
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Quote:
Tata
Weren't they remaindered at that time, with no warranty back up and,make me an offer, at least I've got a Mercedes engine, prices?
Tata!!
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Politics and Ideology: Not my bag
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