Chapter 100: Make it bigger

Sports cars are actually a thankless area, especially the top super sports cars.
Just like Aston Martin launched the ONE-77, there are only seventy-seven cars in the world, even if these seventy-seven have been sold out, but in fact this car can’t make money, and even the cost of protection is a problem .
As the so-called beheading business is done by someone, no one is doing a loss-making business.
Why does Aston Martin continue to develop ONE-77 when it knows it is losing money?
The reason is simple, this is a super sports car business model.
The introduction of this industry's top super sports car can establish and maintain Aston Martin's brand image and industry status.
But so much money has been invested in the early R&D, how can it be recovered?
This must be earned from models other than ONE-77.
So the problem comes. When the sales of your other models are not good, you will 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 to varying degrees. Except for Ferrari barely able to maintain, Porsche entered the luxury segment from the ultra-luxury field early. Including Lamborghini, Maserati, etc., which one is not losing heavily?
When Porsche got out of the crisis, it happened to launch the low-end luxury car Cayenne, which detonated sales in one fell swoop.
Yang Huan and Urich Bates, Zhao Yuanfang and others have talked that if Aston Martin wants to improve the current dilemma, it must step out of the sports car field and launch a four-door luxury sedan, SUV or crossover.
Because in emerging markets such as China, this kind of car can only sell and make money.
Then use the money earned from this car to feed back the research and development and technological innovation of the super sports car, and then use the brand image and industry status established by the super sports car to further boost the sales and influence of low-priced models.
Aston Martin now thinks and needs to do, including Lamborghini, Maserati and other ultra-luxury brands are also doing.
Even to some extent, Aston Martin is relatively late.
Another important point is that Aston Martin only had experience in developing sports cars before.
Therefore, when Yang Huan proposed to develop luxury cars, SUVs and crossovers, the entire management team had no problems. As long as they had money to support them, they could do it, because this is the trend.
How to solve the pleasant problem?
How to deal with the inexperienced weakness?
These are a big trouble.
Yang Huan sat in the upper center of the oval desk, turned the chair, turned sideways to the crowd, and opened his left hand on the desk, listening to the heated discussions among the management of Aston Martin.
It contains a lot of highly professional terms, Yang Huan has never even heard of it, so there is no way to participate.
However, seeing this group of people arguing more and more fiercely, Yang Huan couldn't help it.
He slapped his desk hard, and a bang spread throughout the meeting room.
Everyone in the conference room was taken aback by Yang Huan's sudden behavior, and suddenly one or two fell silent.
"What's the noise?" He glared at the two rows of six or seven people below.
They are all sitting in this position, so there is still such a noise?
Is it plausible?
"Marrick, say it to you." Yang Huan pointed to design director Marrick 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 an entire team. If it is just a sketch, we can all. But this involves a lot of engineering and technical analysis, which requires the accumulation of a lot of data."
"Many brands that have gone from ultra-luxury are unsuccessful because they have problems in this area."
Malik Rickman felt that Yang Huan might not understand, so he took the initiative to explain the car design process to Yang Huan.
The automotive industry design is the most important and critical link of a car. The overall design and R&D level, project management capabilities, auto data accumulation, vehicle performance and quality assurance, etc., a large part of these are designed by the automotive industry. It is determined by the strength of the person.
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. They have no problems with sports cars, but they are not known in areas other than sports cars.
Through Marrick Rickman's explanation, although Yang Huan didn't understand the twists and turns, he understood a little bit.
Just like many people talk about Apple, almost no one will deny that the success of all Apple products is very important in their industrial design. From computers, MP3s to mobile phones to tablets, Apple’s industrial design welcomes them. Countless loyal fans.
The same is an Android phone, isn't Samsung distinguishing itself from other manufacturers by its excellent industrial design?
It is like cars again. Many people say that Korean cars are hard to handle, but this can't stop the sales of Korean cars in the world from rising steadily, and they have gradually become a strong new force in the global automotive field.
Especially Kia, after hiring a European design director, sales soared every year.
From these, even from more fields, we can see the importance of industrial design, and it is becoming more and more important.
"Is there a way to grow our industrial design team in the shortest time?" Yang Huan looked at Marrick Rickman.
The latter nodded, "Of course, we will bring in more talents in this area, but in some database accumulation and engineering analysis, the weakness is still very obvious."
"Actually, there is another way." Urich Bates offered.
"any solution?"
"Outsourcing!" Urich Bates said.
This is also the first consideration for most crossover car companies.
It is outsourced to an independent car design company.
Yang Huan shook his head, "I don't like outsourcing. It sounds like a low-end and copycat."
"Master Huan, in fact, outsourcing is very common in the European auto market." Urich Bates smiled bitterly. He had insisted on the outsourcing strategy for many years and was reprimanded as low-end, but he couldn't get angry and could only smile bitterly.
"Or, we can buy directly." German Mediterranean added.
"Acquisition?" Yang Huan was a little strange.
Urich Bates nodded and said: "At present, the entire automotive industry is in a downturn, especially some independent car design companies. The three best Italian independent car design companies in the world have encountered problems in recent years and all have fallen into debt crisis. , Even a leader like Giugiaro cannot make ends meet."
"I mean, buy one of the car design companies."
Yang Huan was shocked. This is indeed the fastest way to improve Aston Martin's industrial design capabilities.
At this moment, Zhao Yuanfang, who had never spoken, suddenly inserted a sentence.
"Dr. Bates, as far as I know, 60% to 70% of foreign car design tasks are done by independent car design companies, and the best of them is undoubtedly the Italian design companies. Why do they appear one after another? Debt crisis?"
Urich Bates looked at Zhao Yuanfang,
In fact, it’s very simple. More and more automobile companies are beginning to attach importance to independent R&D and design. For example, BMW, after Chris Bangor served as BMW’s chief design director, insisted on acquiring A design company. Now this design company not only designs models for BMW, but also Boeing airplanes and Nokia mobile phones are their customers."
"Moreover, many car design companies have their own car factories and other businesses. Once they do not do well, the company will naturally fall into a quagmire of debt and find it difficult to extricate itself."
"Oh." Zhao Yuanfang understands a bit. Now that large companies have established or acquired design departments, the market for these independent design companies has gradually shrunk. Especially in recent years, the entire European and American auto industry has been in a downturn.
Emerging markets represented by China are on the rise.
"Master Huan, I agree with Dr. Bates!" Zhao Yuanfang smiled and looked at Yang Huan, "but I think Dr. Bates is not thinking enough, we should go further."
"Oh?" Yang Huan was interested in Zhao Yuanfang's ideas.
The most important thing for Zhao Yuanfang now is to establish his image as an investment consultant in Yang Huan's heart. It was a rare opportunity for him to seize an opportunity and he was naturally 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 to either do it or just make it bigger, and directly integrate these three The companies have been acquired and integrated into a large industrial design company, giving up other businesses, including production, to specialize in industrial design."
When Zhao Yuanfang said this, Urich Bates and others were shocked.
This is a big deal!
You know, Giugiaro, Broadcom, and Pennsylvania are all valuable assets. It is no longer easy to acquire one. It is even more difficult to acquire three. Among them, Giugiaro has to face the Volkswagen Group. competition.
You are smart, and you are not a fool.
Volkswagen has a lot of business for these independent car design companies every year, and now it wants to acquire a design company by itself.
Do you have the wealth of the public?
Unexpectedly, Yang Huan nodded happily after listening, "It's interesting."
He has always been interested in challenging difficult things.
Urich Bates shook his head, "Let’s not say whether we can acquire these three independent design companies. Even if we do, integration is a big issue. My opinion is that the acquisition of one of them will be included in Aston Martin. And I suggest that Ian Karum, chief design director of Jaguar, be responsible for car design other than sports cars."
Ian Karum once designed a sports car for Aston Martin and helped Aston Martin usher in a renaissance. Now he is the design director of Jaguar. He has won prizes and is soft, and is known as the field of car design. James Cameron.
This Scotsman is most famous for the strong British aristocratic style in the models he designed, which caters to Yang Huan's taste very much.
"Since Jaguar Land Rover was acquired by the Indians, it has suffered heavy losses each year in the next few years. Ian Karum has also been under tremendous pressure. I believe he is happy to switch from Jaguar to Aston Martin, and he also understands Aston Martin. Martin’s culture, I believe he is the most suitable candidate."
Seeing Yang Huan's intention to move, Urich Bates further persuaded.
In the past few years, Aston Martin has increased its sales a lot, but product quality and brand image have declined.
As the chief executive officer, Urich Bates was under tremendous pressure.
The change of dynasty finally ushered in, and when the new boss arrived, he naturally wanted 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, Urich Bates really believes that if anyone can build a luxury car with Aston Martin descent and win the recognition of the outside world, then the most suitable candidate must be Ian Card. Rum!
Even surpassed the current design director of Aston Martin Marrick Rickman.
The latter is still too tender after all.
When Yang Huan heard that Urich Bates was confident of poaching the corner of Ian Karum next door, he suddenly became interested. Since he is called James Cameron in the field of automobile design, he must be a talent.
At the very least, Yang Huan likes the Jaguar he designed and looks forward to the luxury car he designed for Aston Martin.
Looking at Yang Huan's expression, Zhao Yuanfang cried out inwardly. He didn't want the chance to show up that he had finally won, so he said quickly.
"Acquisition and integration of these three design companies, I think it is very promising ~ EbookFREE.me~ Not to mention, just the orders from those Chinese auto companies are enough to feed this design company. As for integration , I don’t think it’s a problem, and I think there is a person who is very suitable, and he must be very interested in helping us complete the acquisition and be the head of this design company."
"Who?" Yang Huan was also interested in this plan.
Industrial design is indeed very important and very promising.
If the three major design companies can be acquired and integrated, it is indeed a very competitive thing.
To put it in a Chinese phrase, go your own way, leaving others with nowhere to go.
In the future, those auto companies who want to design models will have to come to me on the initiative.
This is so cool and enjoyable!
Moreover, he could see that Zhao Yuanfang and Urich Bates seemed to be faintly competing for credit.
He likes this, because reasonable and healthy competition is a good thing for any team. ()