Chapter 100 Make It Bigger

Sports cars, in fact, are a thankless field, especially the top-of-the-line supercars.

Just like Aston Martin launched the ONE-77, there are only 77 cars in the world. Even if these 77 cars have been snapped up, in fact, this car can’t make money, and even the guarantee is a problem. .

As the so-called beheading business is done, no one does the loss-making business.

Why did Aston Martin continue to develop the ONE-77 when it knew it was losing money?

The reason is simple, it's a supercar business model.

The launch of the industry's top supercar builds and maintains Aston Martin's brand image and industry status.

But how much money has been invested in early research and development, how can it be recovered?

This has to be earned from other models other than the ONE-77.

So here comes the problem, when your other models don't sell well, you lose money.

Over the years, with the emergence of the subprime mortgage crisis and the European debt crisis, almost all of the ultra-luxury car brands have suffered losses of varying degrees. Except for Ferrari, which can barely be maintained, Porsche has entered the luxury sector from the ultra-luxury sector early. Including Lamborghini, Maserati, etc., which one is not a serious loss?

And when Porsche came out of the crisis, it just launched the low-end luxury car Cayenne, and detonated sales in one fell swoop.

Yang Huan, Ulrich Bates, Zhao Yuanfang and others have talked about how Aston Martin wants to improve its current predicament, it must go out of the sports car field and launch four-door luxury sedans, SUVs or crossovers.

Because in emerging markets such as China, this kind of car can sell well and make money.

Then use the money earned from this kind of car to feed back the research and development and technological innovation of super sports cars, and then use the brand image and industry status established by super sports cars to further promote the sales and influence of low-priced models.

What Aston Martin thinks and needs to do now, including ultra-luxury brands such as Lamborghini and Maserati, are also doing it.

To some extent, Aston Martin is relatively late.

It is also quite important that Aston Martin has only previous experience in developing sports cars.

so,

When Yang Huan proposed to develop luxury sedans, SUVs and crossovers, the entire management team had no problem, as long as they had money to support them, they could do it, because this is the trend.

Lovely problem, how to solve it?

How to deal with the weakness of inexperience?

These are a big hassle.

Yang Huan sat at the top and center of the oval-shaped desk, turned the seat, turned to face the crowd, left his left hand flat on the desk, and listened to the heated discussions among the management group of Aston Martin.

It includes many highly professional terms. Yang Huan has never even heard of it, so he has no way to participate.

However, seeing this group of people arguing more and more fiercely, Yang Huan couldn't help it.

He slapped the desk hard, and a bang spread throughout the conference room.

Everyone in the conference room was taken aback by Yang Huan's sudden action, and suddenly one or two became silent.

"What's the noise?" He glared at the six or seven people in the two rows below.

They are all sitting in this position, how can they be so noisy?

Like talk?

"Malek, tell me." Yang Huan pointed to design director Malik Rickman.

The young Aston Martin design director immediately stood up, "Master Huan, in fact, designing a car is a very complicated system engineering, and it is the result of the operation of a whole team. If we just draw sketches, we can all do it. But it involves a lot of engineering technical analysis, which requires the accumulation of a lot of data.”

"Many brands that have stepped out from ultra-luxury have failed because of problems in this regard."

Malik Rickman felt that Yang Huan might not understand, so he took the initiative to explain the process of car design for Yang Huan.

Automotive industrial design is the most important and critical link of a car. The overall design and development level, project management capabilities, accumulation of automotive data, and assurance of vehicle performance and quality, etc., are largely driven by the design strength of the automotive industry. strength to decide.

Aston Martin's industrial design in the field of sports cars is second to none. They have accumulated a lot of data and experience in this field. In the field of sports cars, they have no problems, but outside the sports car, they are unknown.

Through Malik Rickman's explanation, although Yang Huan didn't understand the twists and turns, he understood a little bit.

Just as many people have talked about Apple, almost no one would deny that the success of all Apple products is a very important point in their industrial design, from computers, MP3s to mobile phones to tablets, Apple's industrial design welcomes them. Countless loyal fans.

It is also an Android phone. Isn't Samsung distinguishing itself from other manufacturers by its excellent industrial design?

Just like cars, many people say that Korean cars are too good to look at, but this has not stopped the sales of Korean cars in the world from rising steadily, and has gradually become a powerful new force in the global automotive field.

Kia, in particular, has seen sales soar every year after hiring a European design director.

From these and even more fields, the importance of industrial design can be seen, and it is becoming more and more important.

"Is there any way to expand our industrial design team in the shortest possible time?" Yang Huan looked at Malik Rickman.

The latter nodded, "Of course, we need to introduce more talents in this area, but in some database accumulation and engineering analysis, the weakness is still very obvious."

"Actually, there is another way." Ulrich Bates offered.

"any solution?"

"Outsourcing!" said Ulrich Bates.

This is also the first consideration of most crossover car companies.

That is outsourced to an independent car design company.

Yang Huan shook his head, "I don't like outsourcing, it sounds like a very low-end and cottage."

"Master Huan, in fact, outsourcing is very common in the European auto market." Ulrich Bates smiled bitterly. The outsourcing strategy he had insisted on for many years was reprimanded as low-end, but he couldn't get angry, he could only smile bitterly.

"Or, we can buy it outright," German Mediterranean added.

"Acquisition?" Yang Huan was a little strange.

Ulrich Bates nodded and said: "The entire auto industry is in a downturn, especially some independent auto design companies. The world's three best independent Italian auto design companies have encountered problems in recent years, and all of them have fallen into debt crisis. , even a leader like Giugiaro can't make ends meet."

"I mean, buy one of those car design companies."

Yang Huan was heartbroken. This is indeed the fastest way to improve Aston Martin's industrial design capabilities.

At this moment, Zhao Yuanfang, who had never spoken, suddenly interjected.

"Dr. Bates, as far as I know, 60 to 70 percent of the car design tasks abroad are completed by independent car design companies, and the most outstanding of them is undoubtedly the Italian design company, why do they appear one after another? Debt crisis?"

Ulrich Bates looked at Zhao Yuanfang, "It's actually very simple, more and more car companies are beginning to pay attention to independent research and development and design, such as BMW, after Chris Bangor became BMW's chief design director, he insisted on acquiring A design company, and now this design company not only designs models for BMW, but also Boeing aircraft, Nokia mobile phones, etc., are their customers."

"And many car design companies have their own car manufacturing factories and other businesses. Once the management is not good, the company will naturally fall into the quagmire of debt, and it is difficult to extricate itself."

"Oh." Zhao Yuanfang understands a little bit. Since big companies have established or acquired design departments, the market for these independent design companies is gradually shrinking. Especially in the past few years, the entire automotive industry in Europe and the United States has been sluggish.

Emerging markets represented by China are on the rise.

"Master Huan, I agree with Dr. Bates!" Zhao Yuanfang looked at Yang Huan with a smile, "but I don't think Dr. Bates thought enough, we should go further."

"Oh?" Yang Huan was interested in Zhao Yuanfang's idea.

The most important thing for Zhao Yuanfang right now is to establish her image as an investment advisor in Yang Huan's heart. She seized a rare opportunity and naturally worked very hard.

"As far as I know, the entire automotive design field has just started in emerging markets such as China, but it is already very mature in Europe and the United States. My idea is, if you don't do it, you can just make it bigger and directly integrate these three companies. The companies were acquired and consolidated into one large industrial design firm, abandoning other businesses, including production, to specialize in industrial design.”

When Zhao Yuanfang said this, Ulrich Bates and others were greatly shocked.

This is a big deal!

You must know that Giugiaro, Broadcom and Pennsylvania are all valuable assets. It is not easy to acquire one, but it is even more difficult to acquire three. Among them, Giugiaro has to face the Volkswagen Group. competition.

You are smart and people are not stupid.

Volkswagen does a lot of business to these independent car design companies every year, and now it wants to acquire a design company of its own.

Do you have public wealth?

Who knows, Yang Huan nodded cheerfully, "It's interesting."

He has always been interested in challenging difficult things.

Ulrich Bates shook his head, "Let's not say whether we can acquire these three independent design companies, even if we do, integration is still a big issue. My opinion is that the acquisition of one of them belongs to Aston Martin. And I suggested that Ian Callum, Jaguar's chief design director, be hired to take care of the car design beyond the sports car."

Ian Callum once designed a sports car for Aston Martin, which helped Aston Martin usher in a revival, and is now the design director of Jaguar. James Cameron.

The Scotsman is most famous for the rich British aristocratic style in the models he designed, which suits Yang Huan's taste very well.

"Since Jaguar Land Rover was acquired by the Indians, it has suffered heavy losses year after year, and Ian Callum has also been under tremendous pressure. I believe he is happy to switch from Jaguar to Aston Martin, and he also knows Aston Martin. Martin's culture, I believe he is the perfect fit."

Seeing Yang Huan's move, Ulrich Bates further persuaded him.

In the past few years, Aston Martin has improved a lot in sales, but product quality and brand image have declined.

As CEO, Ulrich Bates is under enormous pressure.

After finally ushering in a change of dynasty, when a new boss arrives, he naturally wants to keep his position at all costs.

This requires him to prove his worth in front of the new boss.

And as a veteran doctor in the automotive industry, Ulrich Bates really believes that if anyone can build a luxury car with Aston Martin blood and win recognition from the outside world, the most suitable person must be Ian Car. Rum!

Even more than the current Aston Martin design director Malik? Rickman.

The latter is still too tender after all.

Yang Huan heard that Ulrich Bates was confident of poaching next door Ian Callum, and immediately became interested. Since he was called James Cameron in the field of automotive design, he must be a talent.

At the very least, Yang Huan likes the Jaguar he designed and looks forward to the luxury sedan he designed for Aston Martin.

Seeing Yang Huan's expression, Zhao Yuanfang secretly screamed that it was not good. He didn't want the chance to show his face that he finally won to be missed like this, so he said quickly.

"Acquiring and integrating these three design companies is very promising in the market. If nothing else, orders from those car companies in China are enough to support this design company. As for integration, I don't think it is a question, and I think there is someone who is a great fit and must be very interested in helping us complete the acquisition and head this design firm.”

"Who?" Yang Huan was also interested in this plan.

Industrial design is indeed very important and very promising.

If you can acquire and integrate these three major design companies, it is indeed a very competitive thing.

To use a Chinese saying, go your own way and let others have no way to go.

In the future, those car companies who want to design models will have to come to me on their own initiative.

This is such a fun and enjoyable thing!

Moreover, he could see that Zhao Yuanfang and Ulrich Bates seemed to be vying for credit.

He likes that because reasonably healthy competition is a good thing for any team. ()