Swift Group Announcement

[nrdonnelly]

Dear All,

As some of you may have read elsewhere on the web, we got confirmation this afternoon that Swift Group is to cease production of Abbey and Ace caravans. It also spells the end of Ace as a motorcaravan brand too.

Swift Group has confirmed that reducing the number of brands it produces will enable it to remain competitive in what it sees as a very tough market for 2009/2010.

Swift, Sterling and Sprite brands will be offered to all dealers who stock Abbey and Ace as a replacement.

Swift has assured us that anybody who owns an Abbey or Ace tourer will have no problems with warranty or parts supply as it has pledged to support owners. As the Abbey and Ace products are so similar to continuing Swift models, dealers we've spoken to suggest that used prices on these models will not be affected by the change to the brand line up.

We will have a full report in the January issue.

Regards

Nigel Donnelly

Editor

Practical Caravan

 

[ValA.]

I'm not really surprised. At one time there were real differences between the 'brand names' - now it just seems to be the choice of upholstery, or veneer colours, which are different. It must have been costing a fortune to keep producing all these 'different' brand names, each with it's own range of 'models'.

 

[Dustydog]

I'm amazed Swift stuck with "badge engineering" so long. It didn't do British Leyland any good. Remember the Austin, Morris, Wolseley, MG, Riley and Princess 1100/1300s.

All those different brochures!!

Cheers

Alan

 

[JON2515]

Unfortunately it means even less choice if buying new though with Avondale also unlikely to restart production - especially sad to see Abbey will be no more - I wonder if it will mean some of the dealerships closing or are we going to have more Swift dealers in a particular area in competition with one another which might not be a bad thing?

 

[gazzers]

Hello all, just reading about the swift group deciding to cease production of the Ace and Abbey brands, has anybody got any ideas about what will happen to the dealers who have dealer specials? I am new to caravanning, brought a bailey ranger at the end of last year from a well known dealer near guildford in surrey where they have their own dealer specials based on the abbey range. Also l believe that Practical Caravan also use these caravans from this dealer for using on there road tests. I would be interested to hear what anybody else has to say?

Gary

 

[Parksy]

The dealer specials will continue to be produced but they might be Swift badged models.

Peter Smith the

 

[Parksy]

The dealer specials will continue to be produced but they might be Swift badged models.

Peter Smith the chairman at Swifts confirms this on another forum

http://www.caravantalk.org.uk/index.php?s=&showtopic=21056&view=findpost&p=209602

 

[Moonstone1]

Bad news from Swift here too

http://www.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk/news/Jobs-blow-Swift-workers/article-473941-detail/article.html

 

[Jo-AnneFairway5402010]

well im not surprised. Bailey have added the california dreaming to the senator range what does that tell you?.

jo

 

[Hamer_5041128]

Jo-anne,

It has been reported,although i have not had it confirmed, that Bailey are discontinueing a complete range.

I think it tells us that in the present economic climate Bailey are trying to squash a twin axle layout into a single axle, therefore saveing weight and enabling the caravan to be towed by a normal car /estate.

From looking at the layout it looks very cramped, we will have to see.

Swift have done the sensible thing in the present climate as i think Bailey will if they remove a model range.

We certainly do not want any more manufacturers going out of business.

Hamer

Hamer

 

[Royston]

Baileys have already announced that the very basic range has been discontinued ie Discovery.

Royston

 

[RichardS1]

Sensible move to me, in the current economic climate all manufacturers will be facing a significant decline in sales. Its the ones that reduce their operating costs who will manage to survive.

 

[rfrancis]

I purchased an Ace Award Firestar rather than its Swift stablemate two years ago, why, individuality I suppose. I understand the economics of the move but anyone who thinks it won't affect the resale value under estimates how fickle we caravanners are! Still it now releases me, I've been loyal to the Ace brand since '92 I can now go for a more lightweight model by an alternative manufacturer. The next hurdle will be to sell a heavy caravan when everyone wakes up to reduced sales of 4x4's

 

[trucker]

ron, I bought a new ABI brooklyn 8 months before ABI pulled out of the tourer market, when I p/x the van 2 years on I got a good deal from tthe dealer. I think in todays market it will be a problem to sell/px anything but this will pass and all will be well again, just a matter of when!!

Ive got an abbey vogue and am not worried currently as I will be keeping the van for at least 2 more years.

Kevin

 

[John_374224558]

I am not unduly bothered either. We have an Abbey Expression (Vogue) and as a dealer special edition whats in a name. I think the important thing is that there is an almost identical Swift equivalent using virtually all the same components so as long as Swift does continue to support Abbey owners we should be ok.

In any case, I expect that Swift will keep the rights to the name so it may reappear one day when the dust has settled, just as Sprite did.

 

[Steve L]

While it is sad to see so many iconic brands disappearing with the restructuring of the manufacturning industry being brought to it's knees in this oh so secret "crunch, crash or slowdown", but not the dreaded R word. I feel more for all those people who day in day out, strive to assemble caravans, cars and consumer goods, who are being laid off or worse still being made redundant just before christmas.

I've been through that twice my self and also had to close a firm down. It's no picnic I can tell you. And having to stand in front of your workfoce to tell them there is no future is heart wrenching.

However I'm not a badge person myself, we just go for the caravan with the layout that suits us. Coincidentally though that has been with the swift group on two occassions. A Swift Dannette (1982) and now an Abbey freestyle 540se. To be totally honest I didn't realise Abby was part of Swift and we just chose the van as it ticked 8 out of 10 of our desires list and was towable behind our 1998 Laguna 2 litre.

I realy do hope Swift weather the storm of 2009/10 and can re-employ the good people they have to cast aside today. Me thoughts and best wishes go to all those affected and I hope they all find alternative work.

I have. I used to be a toolmaker and experimental engineer, but due to changes of production plans at Aston Martin and Lotus cars, I now build free range farm chichen sheds for a living.

What a contrast but you do learn new skills and move on.

All the best

Steve L.

 

[RogerP]

I'm probably going to get some stick for this , but here goes.

I hope that these manaufacturers , when considering who will be laid off , will opt to keep the better workers.

We see through the pages of this forum all too often complaints about poor workmanship and quliaty control. Some of that must be down to the standard of workmanship by some of the workforce involved in a highly manual build process.

Surely its in the makers best interest to ensure they keep the best workers to drive up build quality and quality control.

build the things to a higher standard , less will come back to be fixed under warranty thus saving unwanted expenditure. Your reputation is improved and more people would be willing to buy your product

Too simplistic???

 

[Dustydog]

Well said Roger, absolute common sense.

Cheers

Alan

 

[Gumbo]

absolute common sense

But not under the current Employment Law. Oh the words Common Sense and Law again

 

[bigbilly]

The trouble is that most unions and employees will always see voluntary redundancy preferencial to compulsory redundancy but in my experience the best workers invariably go first to join the depleted job market at the earliest opportunity.

Bill

 

[WilliamLX]

Baileys have already announced that the very basic range has been discontinued ie Discovery.

Royston

Yes but they have added the Ranger GT60, so now Ranger is the basic range replacing Discovery and Ranger GT60 is the value range replacing the Ranger. Personally I think there are to many ranges and lay outs.