BMW Moving Jobs to America

[robmcg]

BMW today announces that it is cutting 8,000 jobs and moving much production to America because it is cheaper there...

[jdm124]

BMW today announces that it is cutting 8,000 jobs and moving much production to America because it is cheaper there...

Did they not try that a few years ago?

[swamprat]

This kind of thing will be helpful in this economic crunch.

[robmcg]

This kind of thing will be helpful in this economic crunch.

Unemplyoment or inflation?

if you print worthless money....

[Eric]

This kind of thing will be helpful in this economic crunch.

Sure - provided BMW can sell cars!

[robmcg]

This kind of thing will be helpful in this economic crunch.

Sure - provided BMW can sell cars!

Maybe they have better skills than GM?

[Eric]

This kind of thing will be helpful in this economic crunch.

Sure - provided BMW can sell cars!

Maybe they have better skills than GM?

Maybe.

But the vulnerability is BMWs are high-priced cars to begin with, across the range. Sure, the uber-rich will still buy loaded V-8 540s, M5s and V-10 750Lis. But sales of mass-movers such as the 1 and 3 Series, Z3, etc. may plunge along with the economy.....

[chiph]

Even the 1-series isn't that cheap.

If you can afford to be in that market, moving up to a 3-series is only a few thousand more, and you get a larger vehicle.

Which may be their intent all along -- the cost of the body shell is a fraction of the production cost of a car, so making one larger (which you can then charge more for) doesn't cost *that* much more to make.

Chip H.

[swamprat]

Maybe building more of them in the United States will make them a bit cheaper to the customer base.

Maybe they should build the 7 series here instead.

[robmcg]

[
Maybe they have better skills than GM?

Maybe.

But the vulnerability is BMWs are high-priced cars to begin with, across the range. Sure, the uber-rich will still buy loaded V-8 540s, M5s and V-10 750Lis. But sales of mass-movers such as the 1 and 3 Series, Z3, etc. may plunge along with the economy.....
[/quote]

To some degree they are sold on brand, not actual quality.

As I understand it BMW still try to keep their servicing and repair info "in-house", their base cars are grossly over-priced compared to Asian equivalents.

Sort of like Apple. Overpriced, won't do much, and sort-of reliable....