Wiesmann, the German manufacturer of lightweight, retro-styled sports cars powered by BMW M engines, finally went out of business last year after several years of barely scraping by. Since then, founders Martin and Friedhelm Wiesmann have been on the lookout for a buyer, and now it seems they’ve found one.
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A spokesman for the company confirmed to Automobilwoche that British-based Indian investors Roheen and Sahir Berry have bought the rights to the Wiesmann sports car business, including the company name and gecko logo. They plan to restart production at Wiesmann’s home in Dülmen, Germany, perhaps as early as 2016.
The sale is not final, though, as it still needs approval from creditors. A meeting between the creditors and an administrator overseeing the bankruptcy takes place in early December.
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According to the spokesman, the new owner is looking to restart production of Wiesmann’s existing lineup, possibly with a few modifications to modernize the cars. One important change will be building right-hand-drive versions to allow the company to tap into the Indian market where demand for sports cars is growing.
We may also see a cheaper offering, as Wiesmann was working on just such a car prior to going under. It was to be priced from about 100,000 euros (approximately $106,000), a significant discount on the 160,000 euros the company charged for its entry-level model.
We’ll update the story as soon as more details are known.
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