Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Aero 8, 2012< Plus 8, SuperSports, Coupe & Aeromax Picking car up from factory cost

My Aero 8 is currently having its panels fitting before going off to the paint shop. I just wondered how many have collected their cars from the factory rather than the dealer?

Is it worth it? How much extra were you charged for picking it up from the factory?

Any opinions appreciated.

Go to the factory to see it post paint but collect it from the dealers.

Dealers are a second line of check for niggles and you need to build a working relationship with your dealer. You may possibly need them later..!

Depends how much you trust your dealer. Worried about the apprentice mechanic test driving it and ragging it? On the other hand I really dont see how the factory can charge for checking that something they are handing over is right. Its their job to ensure its right. You arent paying for a car with faults but a car that they have checked and made sure is correct.

You dont pay for a PDI on a washing machine or on a house or on a boat so why on a car?

I dont see you winning that argument with the factory so maybe best to take the apprentice risk. After all you want to be able to hold the dealers feet to the fire if the car isnt right. Your contract is with him.

For me it was a must, I've bought mine to keep and I needed to convince my darling wife it was a good idea. It started with a nice afternoon at the Malvern spa in the superb pool, and a lovely meal with a freind. The next day, collecting the car was, as expected, a bit chaotic, but immense fun all the same, the horrible weather was disappointing but oddly enough, helped create a cosy feeling inside the car which my wife seemed to enjoy. One of the highlights was meeting Kevin and Perry on the way home (not the Harry Enfield ones), we yapped for ages about everything and everything, proving to my wife, these cars are for fun people!
The weather improved and two more classy hotels latet we arrived home. Now I think she likes it, we've driven it every day, ask me again in about twenty or thirty years time, I'll still love it and by then, so will she.

One dealer I know told me they return about 50% of cars delivered for remedial work and about 1% they outright reject.
So, the factory pre-delivery inspection could be better.....perhaps.

Dealers have workshops that are busy with people that pay monies direct to them and thus help with cash flow. Warranty issues carry a flat fee and a wait for reimbursement, so there is a lot more to those statistics than the apparent poor quality returns imply.

There are also degrees of acceptability, for example some customers are far more fastidious than others and whilst I'd be quite happy to live with a blemish behind something or under the bonnet, others may not.

What should be addressed is the standard to which both aspire to. There is much room for improvement in communication between the factory and the dealer.

But where have I heard that before..?

Your best friend in future is the dealer - my cars are always sourced and maintained by the dealer.

Spot on. Meeting the factory team is a lovely outing, but my experience is that dealer pdis are much more thorough as they have more time. I waited at Malvern for half a day whilst some fairly barn-door issues were fixed which apparently hadn't been spotted in pdi (fuel gauge not working, speedo erratic). Mind you, I couldn't fault the hospitality - so if you have a whole day to kill and are of a patient disposition, you could go for it...

Well, I really appreciate the replies. Some very good points and some issues to think about.

Thank you!

Paul

Does your dealer pick up the car in a covered transporter?