Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Fazeel]

why did vauxhall stop making omegas ??

I mean, it was their best car, I think its called flagship or something

But it was pretty good !!
Im sure they also sold alot !!
So then why they stopped the production for it ??

These cars are soo good, that even after a decade, people have it and they still are in pretty good condition !!

[Bojan]

because of the profits

here is what they were thinking: in the beginning of 2000s, they had vectra B and omega B, which are two totally different cars...basically, didn't have a thing in common.
To develop a successor, it is needed to do all the research, development, designing, testing, acquiering tools for body parts  manufacturing, getting contracters for different parts (like headlights, brakes, seats....).
To develop a successor for this 2 cars, they should have done all this job twice.

So, in they infinite wisdom, they decided to ditch Omega, and just develop vectra C, and then develop a Signum, which is a slightly modified vectra estate, and say it is an Omega successor.

Of course, in this way they had saved a lot of money on development BUT, signum can't be omega successor -> IT IS A FRONT WHEEL DRIVE CAR!

[pscocoa]

Fleet sales must have played a big part in this - Carltons. Royales, Omegas were often on company car lists for employees but with the trend to smaller efficient cars and private buyers unlikley to take new Omegas after late 1990s it must have made sense to get behind the Vectra/Insignia platform with the Signum option supposedly for the exec/ company taxi type market.
Maybe also recognising that badge wise it was difficult to compete with the BMW/ Mercedes at the quality car level given the need for a significant proportion of German company components

[Phil]

A 'luxury' slaoon/ estate with a Vauxhall badge does not sell. It will never (has never) compete with a BMW/ Mercades, which is its direct competitor, and therefore Vauxhall wouldn't be able to sell it.

Casing point is the VXR8 & M5, bet the sell more M5's than they do VXR8's even though they are half the price!!

And before anyone says their Omega is better than the alternative BMW, it doesn't matter, badge snobbery will win the day thats why it doesn't sell.

Exactly the same reason why people but Audi instead of Seat or Skoda, pretty much the same car, £000's cheaper but they buy the Audi just for the badge!

a Signum, which is a slightly modified vectra estate, and say it is an Omega successor.

Of course, in this way they had saved a lot of money on development BUT, signum can't be omega successor -> IT IS A FRONT WHEEL DRIVE CAR!

Signum IS a vectra estate up to the back of the rear doors, same floor pan just 5" shorter in the body.

Was never designed to replace the Omega, but in most ways is infinately better than the Omega.

Its just as comfotable at motorway munching and is just as crap round bends.

I can personally speak from experience as i have a 3.2V6 Signum

The MV6 i had was improved with a full Irmscher suspension set up, the Signum will be improved with the Bilstein B6's and Eibach springs i have waiting to go on 

[mathewst]

why people but Audi instead of Seat or Skoda, pretty much the same car, £000's cheaper but they buy the Audi just for the badge

just as crap round bends

Phil I wouldn't agree with a  couple of things.
First for Audi you do pay for the quality, interior seems like from a different world than that of Seat Skoda or VW, also engine alloys and parts are different (composition is better) and are of better quality.
And for omega being crap around the bens actually standard omega (especially mv6) is pretty good around the bends keeping in mind the sheer size and weight of the car. It is better than any Mercedes E class and ordinary A6 of the same period and just as good as the beemer.
The thing that burried all big non exclusive brand saloons was lack of name, small errors in car manufacturing such as crapy interior and lack of finish quality