Badge engineering?

[4cls]

Back in the 60's we in the trade called it 'Badge engineering' For instance, two motorcycles, identical, one a Matchless and the other an A.J.S., we used to laugh over it and it was never serious. Now, friends near us have bought a motorhome, A 2007 Swift Bolero 680FB, I have an Ace Airstream 680FB, to look at them side by side and at both insides, there is absolutely no difference? It looks as though 'badge engineering' is rife in the motor-home world, or is this just an exception? how many other M/Homes are there out there similar but with different names, and yes, I do know that Swift Made the Ace. :-S

[Tracker]

And the Bessacarr range mirrors Swift, who also now own Autocruise, but no longer produce coachbuilts under that name - mores the pitry because Autocruise were always a better designed and built van in my view - maybe that's why Swift stopped 'em - killing off the competition makes your own product look better!!.

 

When Autocruise was Autocruise they too had a mirror range called Pioneer.

 

Eldiss, Compass, Buccaneer are also all one.

 

Autotrail are part of the Trigano Group.

 

That's just a quickie from memory but if you root about a bit on Google there are loads more particularly the big European brand groups

[Rayjsj]

Since the recession started several manufacturers have 'mothballed' some of their 'badge engineered' Models Ace & Autocruise Coachbuilts by Swift and Compass & Buccaneer by Elddis or Explore or whatever they call themselves today, altough I see that 'Compass' is seeing the 'light of day' again ?

Also I believe that Hymer owns a lot of the European Brands these days (watch out for more 'Rationalization' to come ?) . In the end it is always 'Choice' for the customer that suffers, Tracker spoke about 'Real' Autocruise, and I agree wholeheartedly with him. Also Compass used to produce very good conversions onto Mercedes and VW chassis's UNTIL Elddis decided to make 'Clones' out of them. Progress Eh ! not always good for the customer. Ray

[RogerC]

Ci and Roller Team is another though Ci has now gone......as in no longer made.  I think they were under the Trigano umbrella.

 

[malc d]

I always refer to it as " the illusion of choice " - which is all down to reducing manufacturing costs.

 

 

:-|

[Retread24800]

RogerC - 2013-08-27 9:29 PMCi and Roller Team is another though Ci has now gone......as in no longer made.  I think they were under the Trigano umbrella.

Caravan International C.I Have several ranges still for sale in 2014 on the mainland.

 PVC range 'Kyros',

 A Class 'Mizar'

 Coach built in the 'Sinfonia', 'Riviera' and 'Magis' ranges

Now for badge engineering how about Chausson and Challenger?

 or LeVoyageur and RMB ?

 

[Guest 1footinthegrave]

Slightly off topic, but we had a cheapo branded TV a few years ago, when it stopped working I had the back off to see if there was an internal fuse anywhere, to my surprise all of the gubbins inside were Toshiba ;-)

[Brock]

I think you will find each model is fine tuned to the discerning needs of motorhomers ...

 

Rationalisation of the motorhome market must happen. It might reduce choice but it will reduce costs. Alas, because the UK is a caravan market and Europe a motorhome market, you can work out which firms are going to have to work hard to survive in the UK and which are likely to prosper if we can still afford a motorhome.

[Guest JudgeMental]

Possl/Globecar are nigh on identical across the range. A van I liked from westfalia was based on a Burstner I think, but westfalia had a far better interior so maybe not identical. Possl/Globercar only differ in graphics and upholstery from what I can tell....

[Guest Peter James]

1footinthegrave - 2013-08-28 6:49 AM

 

Slightly off topic, but we had a cheapo branded TV a few years ago, when it stopped working I had the back off to see if there was an internal fuse anywhere, to my surprise all of the gubbins inside were Toshiba ;-)

 

Yep The development costs of todays components is such they have to mass produce them to get the price down and then all use each others components in electronic goods as well as vehicles.

[Retread24800]

Do you know, its funny that, when I unscrewed the back of my motorcaravan most of the parts said Fiat, well I'm B*-+/'d :D