Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
I agree - that's the kind of area where small companies can profitably fill a niche market.
To use your example, London taxis (which I'm sure everyone's seen on TV, if not in person) are made by a (relatively) small company called "Manganese Bronze" ( http://www.manganese.com). They produce a specialist product for a specialist market (the average London taxi has a lifetime of about 30 years, and is designed for that purpose). It's something that no "mainstream" car manufacturer could possibly compete at. |
I'm willing to bet Manganese Bronze is like the old Checker Motors corporation in the US. Checker made the famous Checker cab (and a consumer version called the Marathon sedan). Checker was a custom coach builder. They made the
bodies, which they put on Chevrolet running gear. If they had to make the engine, drive train, chassis, etc. as well, they wouldn't have been able to survive.
But yes, big companies need big markets. Sales that will make Bookeen happy would be a miserable failure for Sony.
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Dennis