A similar parallel can be drawn with Morgan. They're a small, niche market, UK car manufacturer, using ancient premises and manufacturing processes to build a very select and specialist vehicle.
10 or so years ago, they were the subject of John Harvey-Jones' Troubleshooter TV series where he investigated small companies to see if their business and bottom-line profit could be improved and moderised. As I recall, he was dumbfounded that a company that built cars the way Morgan did (do) could have a full order book and a 10 year waiting list.
I guess Morgans appeal to the more mature, traditional, flat-capped middle England buyer who wants an old style, hand built car. As long as there are these types of people, Morgan will have a market place.
TVR, on the other hand, try to do provide what a large chunk of the market also do - in essence, to build a fast, sporty, 'sexily' styled, 2 seater car at a £40K - £50K ish price tag.
They have a lot of mainstream competition, most with the backing of much larger motor vehicle building corporations. The Honda S2000 is a case in point - a good car backed by the reputation of a huge company. Also, how could Honda continue to build the NSX for all those years with miniscule sales figures if it wasn't a Honda.
The UK car industry is continually seeing the much heralded re-launch and resurrection of UK car names from the past. What happened to the 'new' Fraser Nash, the 'new' Jensen, the 'new' Marcos?
I guess the marketplace just doesn't have that much spare room.
