Steve Cropley: turbulent times can still create excitement
Our columnist gets excited about Dyson's cancelled car project and ponders role changes in the upper echelons of the industry
Don’t tell the boss, but it was a pleasure to have a big story to write across a locked-down weekend, as I did with this week’s Dyson extravaganza.
I had been desperate to know more about the mysterious mega-EV from Malmesbury and then the opportunity popped up without warning, with the famous inventor flatteringly choosing only Autocar and The Sunday Times for his story.
I review those experiences with a mix of exhilaration and regret. It was fantastic to talk to such clever people and see the beautiful, believable machine they had built from first principles. But I’m deeply sorry that it won’t make production. The me-too world of cars needs original products, and the Dyson EV could have been one of the best.
*Tuesday*
An amazing mix of good and bad news hits the wires. The newspapers are full of joy that Boris is letting car showrooms open. But by 7.15am, we have official confirmation that Andy Palmer is being replaced as Aston Martin boss, which I regard as bad news.
You can see why: someone had to carry the can for the shares plummeting from £19 to 30p, and it was never going to be the Kuwaiti and Italian shareholders whose timing of the infamous stock market flotation was the real cause. I hold Palmer in high regard for his mix of energy, cerebral management and common touch. Mercedes-AMG’s Tobias Moers, a clever appointment if there has to be one, will be going some if he matches that combination.
By mid-morning, McLaren has announced that it’s sending 1200 people down the road. 1200! We’re used to success stories from McLaren Automotive, so this will take some digesting.
Then, at lunchtime, we get confirmation that as a result of two UK companies joining forces, AMTE and Britishvolt, this country will get its own electric vehicle battery gigafactory, complete with £4 billion of investment and 4000 jobs. It’s not just a shot in the arm but a shot in just the right place on the correct arm.
*Wednesday*
Tough times in the fast car industry always send me scuttling to check second-hand prices. Porsche benefits from its quality and stability at times like this and, sure enough, there hasn’t been much of a decline. But I can’t help noticing a considerable difference between used prices at Porsche Reading and Porsche Swindon (I’ll leave you to divine which is which) and wonder why the pricier one would do that. Do its incumbents reckon buyers are too dim to compare? If so, do they deserve our business? Not mine.
*Thursday*
The office is reflecting (via Google Meet) on the situation that will greet Moers at Gaydon in August. I’m cheered by an announcement from Mercedes that he left at his own request, on two counts. First, it eliminates the likelihood of some kind of Daimler corporate stealth (always unlikely). Second, it shows that this capable and ambitious man is tying his future to success at Aston Martin – a healthy situation.
He will get a friendly welcome, because that’s what we do in this country. Besides, UK car-making has much to thank German managers for, especially since they’re usually very respectful of our marques’ traditions. But Moers will do well to create the team spirit achieved by Palmer for four of his six years, as elements of his staff know well.
*Friday*
Out of the ether comes news that a friend who backed his hunch that Aston Martin shares couldn’t fall lower than 30p has made a decent killing at 55p, having owned his sizeable parcel for just a few weeks. He’s now buying the Mercedes-Benz SLK 55 he has always wanted…
*And another thing...*
When I set out to build this Lego Land Rover Defender, I reckoned I was doing something intrepid. My mistake was to stick some images on Twitter. I got trumped by at least 30 people who’ve done one already, including various engineers who helped create the real thing!
*READ MORE *
*Official: Aston Martin names Mercedes-AMG chief as new boss*
*James Dyson's axed electric car project cost him £500 million*
*Opinion: What new CEO Tobias Moers will bring to Aston Martin*