Groundhog Day. Once more to Munchen, same day, same flight, same seat even; different venues and host. This time, it was BMW’s annual accounts conference, a week after Audi‘s.
Like Audi, BMW confirmed a set of black-ink results for 2012 that probably made grown men at the likes of Ford, GM and PSA weep. Premium is king – and where the money is currently made here in Europe – and the volume boys are struggling while the premium brands count the profits. Canny private buyers know it too – why pay for an overpriced, gussied-up Ford, Opel or Peugeot when a little more gets you the coveted badge and a car worth far more as a trade-in when it’s time to change? Higher residual values also make for lower lease costs for the fleet users.
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The dominance of premium brands – and support for the home teams – is reflected on the roads in and around Munich – BMWs, Audis are everywhere and the taxi of choice is Mercedes; Ford, Opel, Peugeot and Renault models are a much less common sight and I hardly saw a Citroen. Loyalty to the local brands takes some busting, huh?
Other presentations for media flown in from as far away as China included the new Rolls-Royce display in the famous BMW museum dome and lots on the upcoming i electric vehicle range.
The curators have done a superb job covering R-R history from when the earth cooled to present day and there’s a great mix of cars from the automaker’s own Klassik unit – which also lovingly preserves a fine collection of BMWs, many of them driveable – and some on loan from collectors such as a nice pair of left hand drive 1960s models – a Phantom and a two-door Silver Shadow. My personal favourite was also an HJ Mulliner coachbuilt model but based on the 1964 Silver Cloud – a RHD four-door with the rare (for the era) a/c option which BMW itself owns.
These days the famous British motor car marque is run by a German – Torsten Müller-Ötvös – who joined the British contingent over dinner and provided a fascinating insight into the type of customer who ‘commissions’ a Rolls-Royce – all Phantoms are ‘bespoke’ and 70% of Ghosts – and the future of the brand. Don’t expect volume to match VW’s Bentley any time soon.
Have a nice weekend.
Graeme Roberts, Deputy Editor, just-auto.com
