Business – Voxan delivers Scrambler n ° 0001 –

Posted on by admin

Voxan gives birth to Scrambler n ° 0001

Business - Voxan delivers Scrambler n ° 0001 -

After long years of uncertainties, the Voxan soap opera took on a much more favorable turn on Good Friday with the release from the Issoire plant of Scrambler n ° 0001, symbol of the brand’s resurrection.. Reportage.

Is it really a coincidence? Still, Voxan, a true French myth, seems to have a very special relationship with symbolic dates. After having concluded the final takeover on June 18 (read), it is now Good Friday which has been chosen for the birth of Scrambler n ° 0001, symbol of the official rebirth of the brand….

In this small village of Auvergne served by roads specially designed for motorcycles (read), the event does not seem to have the impact it deserves. From the owner of a bistro who has "heard about it on tv and wish them good luck"to the counter pillar which ensures that"oh no no, the Voxan factory is not in Issoire", the reactions are rather mixed.

It is in the very premises of the company, on the road that runs along the railroads, that the historic significance of this day takes on its full extent. The visit – at no charge, "because the Prefect is in a hurry"- production chains take place in the presence of local oils, but without the two main regional of the stage, the ex-vulcanologist of the Republic Valery Giscard d’Estaing and the ex-minister of the budget with suspenders Michel Charasse , however duly invited. Voxan wishes to pay tribute to local communities, "whose help is essential in such a complicated case, explains the buyer Didier Cazeaux (). Thanks shared on the side of the officials, with the palm of lyricism to the emissary of VGE who does not hesitate to quote Rene Char by proclaiming that "at the height of the storm, there is always a bird to reassure you. And this bird is you, M. Cazeaux !"

It is therefore with a certain solemnity that the director of the Didier Tirard factory, in a navy blue blazer and gold cufflinks, sliced ​​the tricolor ribbon at the end of the chain, symbolically giving life to a resplendent orange Scrambler. Why a Scrambler? Because it represents 60% of production and "given the current repression, it will continue to stick to the demand for the coming years", explains Christophe Roussilhes, sales and after-sales service manager. The first motorcycle of the new era, numbered" 0001 "to ward off the painful phases of its history and mark the renewal of the brand, was therefore born … A careful renewal controlled, tempers Cazeaux, "so that we can measure customer response to model release without undue financial risk. We plan to produce 800 machines this year, maybe a little more, but our most ambitious goal is to keep up with dealer demand.". A bet that seems to be on the right track, since nearly 500 machines have already been ordered by the brand’s dealers while 15 of them have not yet signed their final contract. The plant has also set up 3 months of parts stocks, so as not to have to endure the always possible ups and downs in terms of subcontracting.

On the supplier side, the situation seems to have improved despite some difficulties. "Some are essential because of their image, like Brembo, explains Christophe Roussilhes. "It was not easy to rebuild confidence, and we did not manage to find a compromise with Mig for example, but it was unthinkable for Cazeaux to take over a liability of nearly 15 million euros..". Finally, on the personnel side, 30 employees have been taken over of the 160 that Voxan had and 2 will be in less than ten days..

Voxan, it’s for you !

The almost providential arrival of Didier Cazeaux in the thorny Voxan case is due to one of his relatives, Eric Murgue, consultant of the firm Strate (Strategy for regional planning), whose job is to seek investors and to encourage the establishment of businesses. "It was he who managed to lure me almost treacherously on a Saturday morning in the region, says Didier Cazeaux, By telling me : "Voxan, this is for you!" And he knew very well that once I set foot there, it would be very difficult for me not to follow this case to the end."…

This stubbornness is found at all levels of the chain, as in the methods department where Cedric Jeusseaume, 26, details his passionate career. Leaving his native Mans in April 1999 after a DUT in mechanical engineering to follow an internship at Voxan, Cedric arrived in Issoire a month before the first deliveries to dealers. Hired in July, he avoided a first wave of dismissals at the end of the Gardette era, disappeared during the liquidation and abandonment of Merker, then resurfaced on September 2, 2002 when he was rehired by Cazeaux. "Since the age of 14, I have always wanted to work in motorcycles. Here, almost half of the employees are bikers and the rest enjoy motorcycles. So yeah, even though it’s been hard, I can say it’s great !". Too bad he didn’t"not the means to afford a Voxan, even at a preferential rate"…

2003 prices
Scrambler :
Roadster :
Cafe Racer :		 € 11,412
€ 11,565
€ 12,022

For Michel Crespo, technical and manufacturing manager and passionate about mechanics, the adventure never really ended. "We don’t have the impression of being reborn, because we have always remained within the walls. It was more of a temporary standby", he explains, crushing his cigarette, modestly evoking moments"long and painful". A rider since the age of 16, he has ridden every conceivable type of European twin."And with what we have in our boxes, we are able to bring out any type of motorcycle and bring it to market in a year and a half.", he slips, mischievous … Anxious not to say too much, he also confirms the presence at the Show"of a revamped model". But for the rest, "it’s a question of timing"…

Eric MICHEL

Related articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *