Chris wrote:

Overhead bins are meant to be used for hats coats and ladies hand bags, not suit cases. I spend hours every week having to re write load sheets due to the fact that people insist on bringing their luggage on board.

I sort of apologise ... BUT having had a 50% lost/delayed/damaged failure rate, whenever my luggage went through the bowels of the monster called Heathrow, I now only use cabin carry-on luggage

I don't know why in this digitized age this is still happening at Heathrow.

We were so heavy coming out of Malaga the other day, with a 38 degree heat and unfavourable runway, i had to leave everybodys bags there. Not a very popular decision you can imagine, but to be fair i'd be pissed off too.

Chris wrote:

i had to leave everybodys bags there

better the bags than something worse 🙁

safe flying my friend !

Chris wrote:

Moxxey has it spot on with trades in, and reselling. As for making entry level products that might somehow cheapen the brand. AUDI, BMW, Mercedes and Aston Martin all now have entry level cars. It doesn't mean the S class or 7 series are any less good does it?

This is not an Aston Martin..... http://www.eurocarblog.com/post/2021/aston-martin-cygnet-new-offiial-pictures  this is a piece of dog tu*d with a nice leather interior and a couple of very desirable badges fore-and-aft, dressed to con the fickle that AM is fulfilling its EU Carbon directives (not true but...)

Back to topic, I see great parallels between my No.1 hobby (driving my V12 Vantage) and my (now) No.2 hobby – music from B&O, in terms of the businesses themselves.

Both Aston and B&O make superb quality products – which are not always fully appreciated – namely I think  because of price and the lack of attainability for most people. Both are small independent companies not immediately associated with bigger groups in their own businesses. Both are – because of size/independence are struggling to compete with the big boys (Apple / Porsche/Audi etc..). Both produce products with amazing feel and sense about them (old skool) but often lack technological edge and economical sense that their large counterparts have.

There is no-doubt that when the current V12 6-liter engine in current Astons is phased out on environmental/economical grounds in 2014,  the new power plant will be succeeded by a smaller power plant made by either Mercedes, VW, Toyota or whomever, be forced of forced-induction, noisy (as in unmoving noise rather than the melodic burble of a naturally aspirated V12) and......well, just like every other sports car out there really. The magic will be lost and debased (as has already happened with flappy paddle gear-shifts).

The real reason btw the Cygnet is in place:- Sales, shareholder returns and perhaps a link-up with Toyota in the future for what is seen by many enthusiasts as a debased survival plan.

So what is the alternative for both Aston and B&O? Well sadly, I don’t think there is one. It is check-mate with nowhere to move. Innovating with the big-boys will debase the brand to the old customers, perhaps causing extinction, not doing so will definitely cause extinction unless they downsize and go cottage. Shareholders will not allow that to happen.

So there’s my prediction. B&O will go to more basic cheaper products and still satisfy no one. The products will never be able to compete with Apple price-wise irrespective of what they do, margin’s will reduce and the old mantra “too expensive for the features” will ring truer in the future than it does already now.

Check Mate.

see ford retained a 77 million stake in aston martin

malcolm welborn wrote:

see ford retained a 77 million stake in aston martin 

I think that is the engine plant lease which will expire in 2014/5. The engine technology (V8 and V12) was I beleive bought by ford when they aquired Jaguar.

I agree, Cygnet is a silly car but thats due to environmental regulations.  I don't think the Bang & Olufsen brand is demeaned by some entry level products.  Bowers and Wilkins seems to have done well with entry level products.  B&W and their other company, Classe' build highly regarded audiophile products.

I will admit that I will hedge on the subject.  I have put off purchasing any B&O products until the situation is more clear.  That is the problem with the new category announcement.  It has a tendency to scare main line buyers including me.

Rumor has it the new category will be the reintroduction of electric shavers. Or sheep sheers. Somthing like that. 

moxxey wrote:

Maybe B&O need to tap in to the likes of Lee, Ian Grace and others and utilise this pre-loved market more effectively.

They have at least launched the preowned section of the website

TripEnglish wrote:

Rumor has it the new category will be the reintroduction of electric shavers. Or sheep sheers. Somthing like that. 

I was hoping for a new steamer trunk!