• Welcome to the new SAOCA website. Already a member? Simply click Log In/Sign Up up and to the right and use your same username and password from the old site. If you've forgotten your password, please send an email to membership@sunbeamalpine.org for assistance.

    If you're new here, click Log In/Sign Up and enter your information. We'll approve your account as quickly as possible, typically in about 24 hours. If it takes longer, you were probably caught in our spam/scam filter.

    Enjoy.

Moss acquires VB's inventory

mike_also

Diamond Level Sponsor
It was announced 11/20/20 on the Victoria British and Moss Motors websites that they have entered an agreement for Moss to acquire VB's inventory.
 

puff4

Platinum Level Sponsor
The sad part is, despite VB being a not-so-great supplier overall (IMHO), they did have some things that no other vendors had, and some were of better quality/value than other folks were offering.

But the real issue is that they were a Sunbeam parts vendor... one of very few... Moss is NOT currently a Sunbeam parts vendor... will Moss simply liquidate the Sunbeam-specific parts and keep the MG/Austin Healey/Triumph part of their business, or will Moss finally expand into marketing Sunbeam/Rootes parts? (I suspect the former and doubt the latter.)
 

Aladin Sane

Diamond Level Sponsor
I bought a couple of items from VB, the glass for a drivers side window for one. They seemed to have the best prices for those windows.
 

rixter

Gold Level Sponsor
My hope is that they toss the VB Sunbeam parts that are crappy, keep the good, value priced stuff and expand from there. I do not know the background of why Moss didn't carry Sunbeam specific parts, but if they have a market for them, they just might. I think I will do my part by sending Moss a letter saying the Sunbeam community would appreciate the continued availability of those VB Sunbeam parts that were good.

Rick
 

Knightowl61

Gold Level Sponsor
Submitted an inquiry last year and last week & no response. Called today and they said that they haven't made a decision if they will carry Sunbeam......bummer
 

puff4

Platinum Level Sponsor
I wonder if their minds might be changed with receipt of numerous calls and letters?
 

Aladin Sane

Diamond Level Sponsor
I have been emailing with a Mr John Waddle at Moss about a non sunbeam part. In my last message, I asked when we could expect to see the VB Sunbeam inventory showing up on the Moss website. I will let you know what he sends back.
 

Wayne67vert

Donation Time
I asked on the Moss FB page about Sunbeam parts. Here is the response:
Thanks for asking, All I can say right now is that we’ve acquired the assets of Victoria British, for the latest details, please check out the landing page on our website. https://mossmotors.com/vb-faq This page has the press release and a list of FAQs or frequently asked questions. If your question isn’t listed, I’m happy to forward it to our management team. Otherwise, please keep an eye on this page for the most current information. What about Sunbeam parts? Stay tuned. We are still in very early phases of the transition and have not yet determined the exact selection of parts that will be incorporated into our catalog. As soon as we have more details, we will update this page
 

RootesRooter

Donation Time
"...exact selection of parts..." sounds hopeful. I think it means they're deciding whether or not to sell those lifters with the little chip missing.
 

Aladin Sane

Diamond Level Sponsor
I just got a reply from the above mentioned John Waddle. It does not sound promising.

Here is part of his reply.

We have not decided on the Sunbeam parts yet, not sure if we will carry these parts as the Sunbeam was a Roots group production and we specialize in the B.M.C. market. It is not really up our alley so to say.
 

Wayne67vert

Donation Time
Moss probably had to buy the complete inventory, not select out the Rootes products. I wish VB would have had a closeout sale on our parts.
 

Aladin Sane

Diamond Level Sponsor
That could be, I hadn't considered that they bought all the rest of the English car parts. I may be a little sunbeam focused.
 

RootesRacer

Donation Time
If they are not going to sell them on line, why did they buy out VB?
Moss and VB were competitors on the british leyland market, likley Moss was really only interested in the market for those parts.

I wonder if Rick or Curt have been offered the sunbeam specific items?
 

sunalp

Diamond Level Sponsor
I wonder if Rick or Curt have been offered the sunbeam specific items?
From a reliable source they've tried to buy the VB parts, they're actually only interested in a few of the "good" things
and don't want the other parts that VB was famous for but so far there's been no deal.
 

rixter

Gold Level Sponsor
Aside from Moss Motors strategy, I was always curious as to what Victoria British had as a strategy for Sunbeam parts. I always found it odd that they would have some parts that CS or SS did not have, but their selection of parts was getting thinner over the years. So while some parts like brake parts that were back-ordered would come back into stock... letting you know they were not just working off their inventory on some items, other stuff just disappeared... like splined hubs and rear shocks for example. If you want to have some fun, dig out an old VB catalog and line it up next to the latest catalog and see how many more parts are "grayed out". Not sure which is more depressing... having increasingly grayed out diagrams or having a diagram of parts with fewer and fewer part numbers shown next to it as is the case with SS.

If Moss got the whole shebang from VB, then one would think SOMETHING has to happen to the Sunbeam stuff they acquired.

Rick
 

Bill Blue

Platinum Level Sponsor
Aside from Moss Motors strategy, I was always curious as to what Victoria British had as a strategy for Sunbeam parts. I always found it odd that they would have some parts that CS or SS did not have, but their selection of parts was getting thinner over the years. So while some parts like brake parts that were back-ordered would come back into stock... letting you know they were not just working off their inventory on some items, other stuff just disappeared... like splined hubs and rear shocks for example. If you want to have some fun, dig out an old VB catalog and line it up next to the latest catalog and see how many more parts are "grayed out". Not sure which is more depressing... having increasingly grayed out diagrams or having a diagram of parts with fewer and fewer part numbers shown next to it as is the case with SS.

If Moss got the whole shebang from VB, then one would think SOMETHING has to happen to the Sunbeam stuff they acquired.

Rick
Unfortunately, that SOMETHING includes landfills and recyclers. Both are equally bad news as their "product" flows are one way only.

Bill
 
Top