Tornado Australia

Just read this with interest as I am based in Melbourne and have been researching kits including Tornado and others. I think it would be correct to say Australia is one of the most over regulated places on earth. As such I have just written to the Aust Govt and Vicroads to ask for a review of VSB14, the rules governing ICV and replica cars. I've had a 30plus years career in the auto industry as a CAD designer/engineer and restored many classic and sports car so I understand the need for good design and safety, but, I really don't get some of the onerous rules in VSB14 hence my letter writing. The main request for amendments is to allow a replica to be more period correct and use period correct powertrains and other details like lamps, switches, gauges, seats, mirrors etc........ and then treat them like a restored car of the same period - with most of the other ICV rules still applying save for things like steering column lock (really!!!) These cars form such a low volume of the vehicles on the roads that their contribution to pollution is negligible if at all measurable. My argument is that many older restored cars are put back into active road use with little on no emissions testing or pollution equipment (and many are pre ADR), just a normal roadworthy is needed. Why not a well built, period correct replica? I hope my letter writing lands with someone sympathetic to our cause and not just a career bureaucrat. We will see.
 
Building a kitcar or replica and getting it road legal will be near impossible now in the Netherlands to, as new 2022 EU regulations mandates,

Intelligent speed assist.
Sleepiness warning system.
Alcohol interlock prepared.
Automatic emergency brake system.
Lane assist.
Backup camera & sensors.
Dead spot sensors.
Blackbox.
Of course, it has to meet modern emission regulations.

Dutch IVA (RDW) just approved a Lancia Stratos replica (Lister Bell) which was fully build around an Alfa Romeo 4C, basically its still a 4C with all its safety components and brake features and emission, they just swapped its jacket.
Wow, thats an interesting list of things you have to have
 
WOW. Hopefully that won't set any precedents. Clearly many bureaucrats would rather none of us drove a car and just used some sort of fully automated transport system. Would probably suit many but not car guys like us who like to drive.
 
Just read this with interest as I am based in Melbourne and have been researching kits including Tornado and others. I think it would be correct to say Australia is one of the most over regulated places on earth. As such I have just written to the Aust Govt and Vicroads to ask for a review of VSB14, the rules governing ICV and replica cars. I've had a 30plus years career in the auto industry as a CAD designer/engineer and restored many classic and sports car so I understand the need for good design and safety, but, I really don't get some of the onerous rules in VSB14 hence my letter writing. The main request for amendments is to allow a replica to be more period correct and use period correct powertrains and other details like lamps, switches, gauges, seats, mirrors etc........ and then treat them like a restored car of the same period - with most of the other ICV rules still applying save for things like steering column lock (really!!!) These cars form such a low volume of the vehicles on the roads that their contribution to pollution is negligible if at all measurable. My argument is that many older restored cars are put back into active road use with little on no emissions testing or pollution equipment (and many are pre ADR), just a normal roadworthy is needed. Why not a well built, period correct replica? I hope my letter writing lands with someone sympathetic to our cause and not just a career bureaucrat. We will see.

Thanks Matt.
Good luck with your projects.

(Ryan In Melbourne)
 
Hi Matt , Thanks for writing a letter i hope you get some change in VIC , Even though i'm in Sydney ,i really think change needs to come from the clubs and members (good luck) look at what you can do with hotrods ,they got together and approached the N.SW minister for roads, i think who then allowed certain freedoms ,i will have to try and find the document ,But we have to face the fact that there are more hot rods than Gt40s or Cobras etc on the roads and hence more clubs and members .Thx
 

Andy Sheldon

Tornado Sports Cars
GT40s Sponsor
Not really had time to reply to Dave's post #17 on this thread until now.

We have been blocked on his FB pages as anything we share to those pages never goes on the pages be it pictures or news or anything else.

We can easily manufacture kits that comply with the Australian design regulations. Everything is in place at the Factory and we just needed orders for cars. We can not manufacture and supply cars without orders and payment. We are running a Business and that's how Business works.

Dave did buy one crate of parts but that was it.

He placed a second order but we never received a payment so the order was not processed.

5% of nothing is nothing. 5% of £500K is £25K. If you are not selling something your not making anything. Pricing is down to the agent in the Country. The idea is to place multiply orders and get them shipped in one lump to save on shipping.

Our UK pricing is irrelevant as it does not include crating, packaging, shipping and delivery.

We did receive direct contact from several guys in Australia who said that Dave did not seem interested in dealing with them which is why they contacted us direct. He did not reply to emails or phone messages. What good is that?

I have even seen guys asking who to buy from on his Australian FB pages and he was recommending other suppliers. That's not what I want to see.

We can make a chassis to pass the torsion tests without an issue. It does not cost 1000's of dollars. Its just a case of adding some additional triangulation. We had even designed the required door intrusion bars.

We do not supply drawings of our parts or designs to anybody. Why would we let somebody else manufacture our products? We have our own Factory to do that.

Before all this Dave approached us to be an agent a while ago and then informed me he had done a deal with RCR instead.

Then a few months later he contacted me to say the thing with RCR did not work out and he would like to work with us.

I am not sure he really knows what he wants.

Denton who bought the car from Dave is interested in picking everything up and we are currently talking about how to best move things forward in Australia.

We gave Dave a chance to get things moving in Australia but its all just been a massive waste of time.

Thanks
 
Andy
Only my second post.
I came to this site after purchasing an ongoing project, I needed to learn more about the project I just purchased and to come up the curve with all things GT40.

Part of the deal with Dave was his support. He has provided that at every step of the way to date, I don't see that changing.

I have built relationships over periods of time with trust and integrity a key part of that.

At the risk of losing your support on my project for parts and knowledge down the road as a manufacturer, I sincerely hope not, I am bowing out of this situation.

I don't need my name in lights on a recreational forum if they don't meet expectations.

Good luck with future sales in Australia.

I'll continue with my project support with Dave on this one.

I'll go back to just reading posts and learning until I have something to contribute. Cheers anyway.
 
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