MadaboutKitcars

I will soon be the proud guardian of the SAMMIO/RIBBLE marque.

I would not be able to do this with out the blessing of Andy, the help of Chris at Tribute and of course Lloyds bank

Gary started it, Andy improved it so I am (with the help of Chris) going to carry on this upward trend.
The bodies have alway been resonable and value for money but it could be so much more with an investment of time and money.
We all know the efforts Andy and Mac put into the Navigator.

The Ribble Colani and the Ribble Pilot CV will cease production.
The G-46 is being reviewed but the Pilot and Navigator will continue for now but will be replaced with a single kit sold in a LWB form for the Herald, a SWB form for the Spitfire, a bonnet for a 4 cylinder engine and a bonnet for a 6 cylinder engine, keeping it all simple.

The first thing to be addressed it the schuttle panel (the bit the windscreen sits on) on both the Pilot and navigator as it's off center and needs sorting out. On this note if theres enought interest we will make a "repair" panel available.
The main improvment will hopefully be the addition of a fiberglass inner floor/rear baulkhead for the LWB Herald version improving the build time and a better finished look.

In the next few week we will be releasing a new Kit the "A1 ALPHA" designed for the Triumph Spitfire, we have the buck and the mould are being done as we speak, so all we have to do is build the prototype. Some pre-production photos and infomation will be listed later along with a build thread.

This will be followed by a whole new SAMMIO SPYDER .

Things are still very much "in the air" and it will take a while to settle down but when we finaly take full control the name will revert back to THE SAMMIO MOTOR COMPANY.

We are based in Swindon, Wiltshire.
10 min from J16,M4. We have a large kettle, plenty of Hob-Nobs and are always up for a chat .

Thats cool

Excellent news, what a team and no bad feeling in the handover... I do think the G46 is Orcasome, i mean awesome - big engine... can't wait for the thread.

Good luck with the new chapter!

Congratulations and best of luck.... looking forward to seeing the changes

It certainly sounds like there is a lot going on, with even more in the pipeline.

Looking forward to seeing how this all develops.

Good luck, Paul.

Good news, always liked the original name for the company.

If you want my two new pennies worth, the best improvement you could offer would be a one-piece fibreglass front bulkhead with proper clearance for the front wheels and built in rust resistant floorpans. That would remove a couple of sources of anxiety that I still have with mine - will the mot chappy fail me because the front tyres skim the bulkhead, and will my front floors rust out if I don't Hammerite them five times a year.

Just a thought.

whoo hoo! I see a lunchtime road trip on the cards in a few weeks, as I am a self confessed "nosey bugger"

Best of luck with everything matey!

Since posting this thread I have had several phone calls and emails relating to problems customer are having because they have not been able to contact Andy at Ribble HQ.

I know he's only at Ribble HQ for a few hours a week and he is trying to avoid stress.
Dealing with customer CAN be stressful, dealing with unhappy customer IS stressful, so I think it's just his way of dealing with it.

I am not defending his action just trying to explain them .

I am hoping to meet him next week and if I do I will pass on the messages I have received.

Keep the faith all will be sorted soon eace:

Hi Micky1mo looking forward to see how you build and take this brand forward which if successful can only benefit all the Sammio/Navigators out there now.

I have been in touch with Andy at Ribble HQ recently so i do know he is answering emails may be a little selective due to personnel issues, but in a matter of weeks it will be your business.

Good luck Micky, Chris and Dan. Not too many hob nobs as that can bring on stress...

Hi Micky,

You write about the G-46: "The G-46 is being reviewed". Could you be a little more specific?

The moulds are being re-worked with a view to putting it back into production.
Remember this will be a long term project so do'nt hold your breath

Are you going to make any changes on the current model?

Looking forward to seeing this new spitfire kit - any clues to what it will look like?

Details here:
http://www.madabout-kitcars.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5058

Cheers

Well I am afraid I'm going to have to eat loads of "humble pie". because I got it all wrong

This past few weeks I have been shocked at the amount of interest still remaining in the Sammio/Ribble bodies.
The little car just won't die!! Gary J must have got it right first time

Already I have taken 2 firm orders , (deposit paid ) and are both are from France.
I also have a French chap saying he wants to buy Sammio's on regular basics ( we'll wait and see on that one ).

So the bottom line is the Navigator/Cordite now has to stay in production but we just have to look at "Swiftys", "Viatron", " Paul L", build threads to know how much work is need to make it presentable on a chassis, in fact every thread has some reference to the poor shape of the body.

Andy57 and Viatron tried to make it better but time and money was against them.

After much thought, plenty of Hob-Nobs, a large overdraft and much help from Chris and Dan at TRIBUTE AUTOMOTIVE, I have decided to re-work the original buck where Viatron and Andy57 left it.
The original buck was collected today from Ribble HQ and will be delivered to Chris and Dan next week.
I am hoping the new bodies will be ready late November time but as we all know this might change

It will be called the SAMMIO SPYDER and built around the Spitfire chassis but a LWB Herald version will be available if demand is there.

The body featured in this listing will still be developed and (again hopefully) be ready for 2015 Stoneleigh show.
This will be called the "A1 ALPHA".
Again I have already sold the prototype AI ALPHA to a forum member who will have some in-put on the build.

A change in direction I know but business is all about supply and demand so while the Spyder is in demand I'll keep supplying it

Good luck mate all the best. How many herald/spits are there in UK for donors? Here in aus they are thin on the ground.

still loads but you have to steal them from under the noses of the restorers/classic car buffs

just had a look on the web on this site

https://www.howmanyleft.co.uk/?q=triumph+vitesse

you can actually see how many its reduced by each year as well


but below are the numbers of registered cars as of 2014 so still plenty left


12/50 218
1200 934
13/60 1.3k
948 177

vitesse

VITESSE
1.4k
VITESSE 2-LITRE
17

Shame it doesn't list numbers held on SORN. Wouldn't that give a more accurate picture of potential donor numbers?

It says vehicles licensed every year..that may include sorn as they have to go the ought he system?

Hahaha i love it. I discovered a whole genre of "buffs" fans of 948s. Theyd be a bit miffed now to find out what i thought was an engine swap on mine (948 coupe with commisio. No Y9048) is very likely the original engine with a bizzarre stamped number (FE). One day I'll find out its rare like a misprinted stamp!.

Just an up-date.

After much "fu**ing" about the Sammio/Ribble moulds are now safe in the hand of Chris at Tribute.
The Spyder moulds just need abit of TLC and will go again.
These will now return to there original name and be reprojuced as the Sammio Spyder, so if you want one just PM me.

Unfortunately the Coridite moulds are just fit for scrap but they are still wanted so will be re-made as a SWB Sammio Spyder. These shoud be ready for Christmass!!!!

For now only the bodies will be avaliable and still at the old prices but I have an "old school" chassis builder who wants to get involved. He will build the cage frames so no more doggy welding and miss alined mounting holes. ie; the cage frame will fit as it should!!
In the future he wants to make a FIA approved cage-frame with built in roll-bar for track days.

So, if all things go right I should be selling a product that is good value, so the buyer do'nt feel they are geting ripped off.

Cheap and cheerfull is OK but value for money is better.eace:

The web site will be constructed over the next few week and we are now looking for some "nice" photos.

Again watch this space op2: