Yes, the Riocars are selling at a profit. However, there is a significant amount of capital investment in stock, and people's time in manufacturing to keep making these. None have in fact been made for several months.

The company has seen a lot of rationalisation, and part of this process is concentrating on products which offer the best return. Though good margins are made on the rio-car, the sales volume is very low, especially when compared to their other product lines.

A nav system would be very nice, and I would suspect that the several thousand owners would both appreciate it and also be the most likely people to help you developing it; the wider market just wants to buy working stuff, not self-assembly kits.

Looking into the future, aftermarket car audio is going to become a very hard sell as installation becomes a bigger and bigger issue with custom dashboards, close integration with car systems, etc. Getting the technology into the car as it leaves the factory is the best way to reach the market.

Hugo