Malaysia’s Weststar to buy British vanmaker LDV
Russian-owned British vanmaker LDV was just about to file for administration when suddenly there is a new announcement that gives them some hope – our very own Weststar will be purchasing them for 1 British Pound. The deal includes LDV and Birmingham Pressings Ltd, which supplies metal parts for LDV.
Ex-army man Datuk Seri Syed Azman’s Weststar Group used to hold the franchise APs for Honda and Chevrolet, and in 2007 they partnered up with LDV to assemble their MAXUS LDV vans here in Malaysia for both local consumption and regional export. The vans are assembled at DRB-HICOM’s Pekan facility. There are various bodytypes sold here in Malaysian including a minibus and an ambulance variant (shown above).
The British government has extended LDV a 5 million British Pound bridging loan to help keep the company afloat while the Weststar deal is being completed.
May 9, 2009 @ 9:04 am
Great!
May 9, 2009 @ 9:22 am
Sounds good, 1 pound. Just like how MV Agusta got sold by proton for 1 pound eh? Liked their bikes
May 9, 2009 @ 9:37 am
Even when locally assembled, these vans/minibuses have a list price of RM110-150k! I’ve not seen any SMEs running about with one. Only govt depts, Astro & GLCs would buy. SMEs or hotels needing vans this size buy Toyota Hiace or Nissan Urvan or Kia Pregio (RM70-100k)
From a goods-carrying POV, vans with ambulance-style rear doors (like LDV’s) are more practical. Instead of loading goods manually, one can forklift an entire pallet into the van. Wing-style rear door vans like the Hiace you cannot do.
Too bad about the price tag. I miss the Ford Transit.
May 9, 2009 @ 9:50 am
[quote comment="236973"]Even when locally assembled, these vans/minibuses have a list price of RM110-150k! I’ve not seen any SMEs running about with one. Only govt depts, Astro & GLCs would buy. SMEs or hotels needing vans this size buy Toyota Hiace or Nissan Urvan or Kia Pregio (RM70-100k)
From a goods-carrying POV, vans with ambulance-style rear doors (like LDV’s) are more practical. Instead of loading goods manually, one can forklift an entire pallet into the van. Wing-style rear door vans like the Hiace you cannot do.
Too bad about the price tag. I miss the Ford Transit.[/quote]
yeap..ford transit is one of the oldest car model(using the same name) in vehicle history with several types of model & facelift. it is a well known van. too bad ford msia didnt bring the new model here..they prefer to introduce their ranger and focus model.
May 9, 2009 @ 11:06 am
When I think of LDV I can imagine the Royal Mail vans.
May 9, 2009 @ 12:09 pm
its for commercial sales not private….dont go and compare with estimas and alphards
May 9, 2009 @ 1:19 pm
wow.. somehow I become overwhemingly proud of Malaysian to own such company. with extensive network all over the world… once it rationalize the operation, this company sure will be in black..
May 9, 2009 @ 1:27 pm
The truth also can be read from here…
http://mt.m2day.org/2008/content/view/21591/84/
May 9, 2009 @ 3:56 pm
Our RMF start using this as a transporter this year already.
May 9, 2009 @ 4:36 pm
good if the new owner able to bring up back the company, and sell the vans all over the world. but it is a sad case for the rakyat if later we only see malaysian gov as the buyer of the vans.
May 9, 2009 @ 5:16 pm
like china bought rover and ships everythings to homeland,
if buy the LDV, hopeing its operational remotely there at drews lane, not very wise.
May 9, 2009 @ 5:30 pm
and this company is ’sakit’
aiyoo, limited customer, mod existing van,
when vw citroen renault/nissan ford itself are good preferance,
mmmmmmm
May 9, 2009 @ 6:06 pm
[quote comment="236968"]Sounds good, 1 pound. Just like how MV Agusta got sold by proton for 1 pound eh? Liked their bikes[/quote]
Its not as easy as it looks. If you buy a company like this for 1 pound, or 1 euro, you inherit all their debt. Its because they owe others so much money, they cannot sell for more. The company that bought MV for 1 euro inherited over 200 million in debt. i really wonder if they actually made any money eventually..?
i wonder how much LDV owes?
May 9, 2009 @ 6:37 pm
Problem with LDV and a lot of European manufactures is that its too expansive to manufacture there. Not sure why you want to invest there. Better do like china, take whole company and set in own country like Rover
May 9, 2009 @ 7:11 pm
I wish the company the best of luck in their undertaking. Hopefully in the not too distant future they can lower the prices to appeal to the public and not just the government who don’t have to pay duties. I’d like to purchase the van to modify it into a caravan, a simpler version of a motorhome.
May 9, 2009 @ 8:58 pm
[quote comment="237076"]Problem with LDV and a lot of European manufactures is that its too expansive to manufacture there. Not sure why you want to invest there. Better do like china, take whole company and set in own country like Rover[/quote]
They might do it, since they are assembling the models here.
May 9, 2009 @ 10:45 pm
my dad had a ford transit,hiace and mercedes benz as he is in the line of transport n tours. Ford had a very huge interior which many of singaporean customers like but under the hood is a hiace engine=) previous ford engine just too leceh n no power. dont go ford, go hiace!!
May 10, 2009 @ 7:08 am
great… another hard-to-maintain ambulance to replace the infamouse Ivecos
had enough of govt mumbo jumbo. they buy expensive, european ambulances which is a pain to maintain, not to mention extra expensive parts (RM 550 for a pair of wipers, anyone?) and lack of supports in sabah & sarawak
why don’t thye just use the easily available and easily repairable toyota’s or nissans?
May 11, 2009 @ 8:42 am
The Iverco ambulance is rubbish…it’s not lack of support in Sabah and Sarawak. There is none actually as the engineer/technician has to come over to service it in here. Not sure who approve the purchase of the Iverco’s in the first place..
They should bought Toyota’s or nissan..
May 11, 2009 @ 10:10 am
Gud luck 2 them…Lotus style Dawn Raid…Search target during slowdown, maintain pace during turnaround and hit high during hightime…thats the recipe…I guess Weststar can make it…This is what proton supposed to do last time when MGR in the brink dead situation..you can easily shared the platform, leverage productivity and concentrated business strategy according to the region…happy to wait if P1 & Weststar can workout something…at least may be shared the showroom and sales activity, parts and 3S Centres..Then only we can say “From Malaysia 2 The World”…
May 11, 2009 @ 11:17 am
stupid van, BMW better
May 11, 2009 @ 12:52 pm
[quote comment="237471"]stupid van, BMW better[/quote]
Then go buy BMW lorr…no need to make noise on it… like comparing Mazda Bongo with Alphard…Sihh!…Malaysian Mindset is always like that…
May 11, 2009 @ 5:09 pm
[quote comment="237500"][quote comment="237471"]stupid van, BMW better[/quote]
Then go buy BMW lorr…no need to make noise on it… like comparing Mazda Bongo with Alphard…Sihh!…Malaysian Mindset is always like that…[/quote]
dun mind him lorrr…. he always give that kind of comments.. just to attract attention to him… poor lonely guy =p