By John Rogers
Responding to the classic success story of demand exceeding supply, Vanderhall Motor Works Inc. has broken ground on a huge new production facility northwest of downtown Provo.
Vanderhall builds revolutionary, peppy, high-end, three-wheel roadsters. The company’s first model, the Laguna, was introduced a few years ago. The two-seater featured front-wheel drive and a GM power train with incredible handling, and industry experts predicted to be a success. A removable top, air conditioning and heated seat pushed the vehicle into the luxury category. With the introduction of its Venice model, Vanderhall has found itself in a position of not being able to meet dealer demand.
Thus, the announcement that a 1 million-square-foot factory is in the offing.
{mprestriction ids="1,3"}With room for 900 production workers, Vanderhall said the production facility will be able to produce as many as 25,000 of the popular roadsters each year. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on the site in late October.
The proprietary chassis design for the unique Vanderhall roadsters requires the latest in computer-numeric cutting and welding technology along with final assembly by hand, all designed to be part of the planned plant.
“When I started Vanderhall — when we finished the first Laguna — I knew we had something special,” said Steve Hall, president and CEO of the company. “And now with the Venice, demand is significantly greater than our production. We need more room.”
A press release marking the groundbreaking also mentioned the expansion of the lineup with two new models coming in 2018. One of them will be an electric version — likely to send shock waves through the industry.
“Creation is something I am passionate about,” said Hall. “This new facility will give Vanderhall the room to expand and create for many years to come.”
The new factory is located at 3411 Mountain Vista Parkway in Provo. Vanderhall has been limited to producing about one of its luxury vehicles per week at the headquarters of Hall’s NewVistas Foundation in Provo.
Vanderhall has been featured in publications such Automobile, The Robb Report and most recently, Jay Leno’s Garage, with Leno expressing how amazed he was that Vanderhall is able to bring a hand-crafted product to market at a reasonable price.
Last fall, Vanderhall signed its first-in-the-nation dealership agreement, ending a situation in which the company could not sell its vehicles in Utah. Wayne Dupied, owner of an EagleRider used motorcycle sales and rental franchise Salt Lake City, became the first-in-the-nation franchised dealer for Vanderhall. A longstanding Utah law limited automobile manufacturers to selling their vehicles through franchised dealerships. The issue kept Vanderhall from exhibiting at the Utah International Auto Expo in Sandy in early 2016. Having resolved that problem, Vanderhall now has more than 20 dealerships nationwide.
The current production model of the Vanderhall Venice has a base of $29,950, while the Laguna starts at $49,950.{/mprestriction}
