BMW of South Atlanta Weblog…
Georgia’s source for the Ultimate Driving Machine and BMW related NewsArchive for News Report
BMW and Porsche are most likely ready for their Social Media approach
A very interesting study and findings shows that Luxury Car Makers are not really ready yet to get their possible clients in social media involved. BMW and Porsche however are best prepared for the next steps to take. Follow belows link to consume the study…
http://www.forumstrategies.com/pdf/AutoStudy.pdf
Volker Jaeckel (a.k.a VJ) or at Twitter @VJnator
Digital Marketing Ambassador
BMW without any layoffs in their U.S. plant – Way to go BMW!
Below I have place the original report from the Automotive News Europe and from one of it’s contributors David Barkholz, who has an indeed encouraging message to the BMW workers here in the United States …please read…VJ, BMW of South Atlanta.
Flexibility helps BMW’s U.S. plant avoid layoffs
DAVID BARKHOLZ
Automotive News Europe
June 12, 2009 15:08 CET
| BIRMINGHAM, Alabama, USA — Strong vehicle exports and manufacturing flexibility have allowed BMW’s U.S. plant to weather the economic downturn without layoffs or derailing a $750 million expansion, the factory’s chief says.
Speaking here this week at the Automotive News Manufacturing Conference, Josef Kerscher said BMW exported more than 60 percent of the 171,000 vehicles produced last year at Spartanburg, S.C. That record output of X5 and X6 premium SUVs required extra shifts of mostly temporary workers last year, said Kerscher, president of BMW Manufacturing Co. in Spartanburg.
Most of the temporaries have been let go. BMW division’s U.S. sales slumped 30.5 percent in the first five months, less than the industry’s 36.5 percent decline. Still, BMW Manufacturing has not laid off any of its 5,000 full-time employees, and the plant continues to run two shifts, Kerscher said. Benefits of flexibility Manufacturing flexibility allows BMW to exactly match its production to customer demands, Kerscher said. BMW customers can make changes to their vehicle orders or add options in as little as five days before a vehicle is built, he said. That level of flexibility is the best in the auto industry, he said. That flexibility is critical to keeping the Spartanburg plant humming, Kerscher said. He said that at one period last year, the plant was making about 50 percent of its vehicles for the United States. Almost overnight, production was shifted to more than 70 percent for export. Strong first-quarter sales of the X6 in Europe are helping to partially offset the X5’s 37.6 percent drop volume to 8,883 units. The plant’s manufacturing processes have been calibrated to accommodate the hundreds of option combinations necessary to meet those differing tastes, Kerscher said. European vehicles, for example, require more diesel engines than U.S. customers buy. Spartanburg is the sole producer of the X5 and X6 for sale in more than 100 countries. The next challenge This autumn, BMW will add another level of manufacturing complexity at the plant when it begins production of the 2010 X5 M and X6 M. Those are 555-hp performance versions of the SUVs. An expansion to take capacity to 200,000 vehicles per year from 170,000 is well under way, Kerscher said. He wouldn’t say when the expansion is expected to be completed. BMW plans to bring worldwide production of its X3 premium SUV to the plant from Graz, Austria, where it is now built under contract by Magna Styr. Kerscher said a new-design paint shop planned for the expansion will eliminate the necessity for primer. That change will allow BMW to save about 20 percent on the cost of painting its vehicles. |
List of the World’s Top-25 most expensive cars – MINI and BMW made it
Following classic cars were crowned the ”Most Expensive Cars” in the World, but wait we are not talking about “the daily beaters’ but most likely about unique pieces. BMW and MINI made the list as well. Take a look…
- 1955 Mercedes Benz 300 SLR 722 – valued at 33 million Euro
- 1938 Bugatti 57SC Atlantic – valued at 28 million Euro
- 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO – valued at 23 million Euro
- 1907 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost – valued at 17 million Euro
- 1928 Bugatti Type 41 Royale – valued at 17 million Euro
- 1979 BMW M1 from Andy Warhol – valued at 11 million
It took Andy Warhol less than 30 minutes to create his Masterpiece
1971 Boeing Lunar Roving – the moon car – valued at 8 million Euro
1928 Mercedes Benz SSK – valued at 8 million Euro
1929 Bentley 41/2 OLD No.2 – valued at 5.2 million Euro
1957 Maserati 250F, Chassis 2529 – valued at 4.5 million Euro
1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 Le Mans Posteriore – valued at 4.5 million Euro
1959 Ferrari Testa Rossa – valued at 4.5 million Euro
1769 Steam Vehicle of Nicholas Cugnot – valued at 4 million Euro
1935 Auto Union Type C – valued at $4 million Euro
1957 Jaguar D-Type Chassis #XKD 606 – valued at 3.4 million Euro
1966 Rolls-Royce Phantom V (John Lennon) – valued at 3.4 million Euro
1968 Ford GT40 Chassis# 1075 – valued at 3.4 million Euro
1959 Aston Martin DBR1 – valued at 3.1 million Euro
1966 Aston Martin DB5 Chassis#1486 (James Bond) – valued at 2.8 million Euro
1965 MINI Cooper (George Harrison) – valued at 2.3 million Euro
1907 Itala 35/45 – valued at 2 million Euro
1969 Porsche 917 – valued 1.7 million Euro
1955 Cadillac Fleetwood 60 Special Elvis Presley – valued at 1.7 million Euro
1963 Lincoln Continental GG 300 (John F. Kennedy) – valued at 1.4 million Euro
1967 Lotus 49 Jim Clark – valued at 1.1 million Euro
All cars described above are still existing and are kept in several museums and private hands.
source: AutoBild – VJ…BMW of South Atlanta
BMW Finally Picks Media Agency for Dealer Groups: Universal McCann
Detroit — BMW of North America tapped Universal McCann, New York, as the media planner and buyer for its national and regional dealer groups, helping end a long new-business drought for the Interpublic Group-owned agency.
BMW spends some $150 million in U.S. measured media annually. Photo Credit: VJ @ BMW of South Atlanta
The incumbent, Omnicom Group’s GSD&M Idea City, Chicago, was one of two finalists for the account. The agency’s media contract with BMW expires at the end of June, when Universal McCann will start handling the business, a BMW spokesman told Advertising Age. Read the rest of this entry »
My Germany Trip (Video) – Vol. 2 Classic Car Show with Porsche, Mercedes Benz, etc.
Here is Volume 2 of my Classic car Show trip in Germany. PLEASE, take a look at the guy with his enormous Facial Hair a.ka. known as beard (just after the Mercedes Benz Gullwing sequence)…you won’t believe it. Super footage on MB and Porsches (classic ones), which you were even able to purchase there, when you bank account would have allowed it. VJ (BMW of South Atlanta, Georgia)
My Germany Trip (Video) – German Classic Car Show with Lamborghini, Ferrari, etc.
Here is the first Vol.1 of my Germany Trip, especially the footage taken of the Lake Constance Classic Car Show, also known in Germany as “Klassikwelt Bodensee“. In this episode you’ll see Lamborghinis’, Ferraris’, Alfa Romeo and so on. I think it will give you a pretty good glimpse how the Germans adore their cars and take car about them. Please look out for the second volume (following a little bit later today), where the Mercedes Benz Gullwing and a BEARD plays a huge role…VJ (BMW of South Atlanta)
My Germany Trip (Video) – Vol. 3 Car Show Electric Avenue with Solar, Gas and Water Powered Cars
First time ever, the Classic World Lake Constance had the “Electric Avenue” exhibition as well among the other classic car exhibition halls. The Electric Avenue footage shows alternative fuel vehicles (bikes and cars) and other inventions of pioneers from tomorrow. You’ll see a MINI Cooper Clubman with Solar Power Panels (planned to be mounted on the roof-top) and other invention on Solar Power and Electric vehicles. Further a “cut-open” Honda Insight is displayed as well, and you’ll observe a few electric powered vehicles driving “fast” on a closed circuit…VJ (BMW/MINI of South Atlanta)
