[Lynn]

Andre,

An excellent chronicle of what has transpired in South Africa, beyond doubt. I always enjoy your contributions here for the even handed insight you provide each and every time you sit down to the keyboard to share with us. Thank you.

I would like to make a few observations in comparing what has happened there in SA to a few ventures here in the US that I have been aware of. The largest, glaring difference between the ventures you describe and the ones I am aware of is the apparent level of funding available at the outset: these US ventures were grossly undercapitalized to say the least. I think this lead to a very magnified state of mind that you alluded to in the ventures you chronicled, at the same time, was a major factor in the economic stance of these US attempts to build GT40s: The development of the product was jealously guarded and held close by a single person and very little, if any, partnering was done or even attempted for fear that the original developer would loose control and, along with that, any profits to be had from the project. This failure to develop and profit (economically, organizationally, technically, etc., etc.) from relationships with others lead directly, I believe, to the under funding, which fed the paranoia, which ........., and a self perpetuating death spiral was entered. If or when they did reach out, it was too little, too late and it was not to "partners", who would have a vested interest; rather, it was to "investors", who surely didn't see enough potential for return on investment, which would have been their only motivation.

Due to your decent nature, I suspect, you are probably least clear on the specific failure mode for the individual ventures when they did, eventually, unravel. My gut feeling is that it wasn't the same as I have described. Perhaps it was the very thing that these US upstarts feared the most and what you describe as the natural state of affairs in the specialty car industry: intrigue, jealousy, back stabbing, partnership clashes, etc. Unfortunately the same symptoms arose: deposits taken, products not delivered, etc. and the outcome was the same: the effort collapsed.

So what does all of this say to someone who may be contemplating entering the fray? I guess it says that, if you structure you effort at the extremes that have been described here, your chances for success are extremely reduced. However, if you surround yourself with high quality, good natured people and allow ALL of them to have some skin in the game and share in the profits (when they come, and don't BS anyone about when that might be), and if you keep the process passionate, fun and focused, you almost can't help but be successful.
edit: to bridle my endless enthusiasm here, I am quite sure that accomplishing this is infinitely harder to do than it is to say!

Regards,
Lynn