East London Production
08-13-2007, 04:52 PM
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East London Production
I'm reading that the new w204 will be produced in East London, South Africa for the US market (and SA market).
Overall, Mercedes says, the new C-Class cars are eight kilograms lighter than their predecessors.
The new Mercs will be assembled in East London at the company's plant on the Buffalo River in a hard-won contract that, while no longer supplying Europe, Australasia and the Far East with right-hand drive C-Class units, will instead ship left-hand drive V6 units in their thousands to the United States as that country's sole supplier of the new cars.
More than 50 000 will be produced in East London in 2008 to supply SA and US showrooms.
http://www.motoring.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=3972462
Does anyone know if this includes the Canadian market as well or will Canada be getting from Germany? Any track record on East London production facilities?
Overall, Mercedes says, the new C-Class cars are eight kilograms lighter than their predecessors.
The new Mercs will be assembled in East London at the company's plant on the Buffalo River in a hard-won contract that, while no longer supplying Europe, Australasia and the Far East with right-hand drive C-Class units, will instead ship left-hand drive V6 units in their thousands to the United States as that country's sole supplier of the new cars.
More than 50 000 will be produced in East London in 2008 to supply SA and US showrooms.
http://www.motoring.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=3972462
Does anyone know if this includes the Canadian market as well or will Canada be getting from Germany? Any track record on East London production facilities?
08-13-2007, 07:08 PM
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08-13-2007, 08:20 PM
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'08 C300 Lux Barolo Red Beige Leather P2 MM 18" wheels '84 944
Euro delivery
<<So is there European delivery for W204?>>
The answer to this was posted several weeks ago. MBUSA told my dealer that about 70% of US market cars will eventually come from SA and the rest from Germany which answers the factory delivery question.
The answer to this was posted several weeks ago. MBUSA told my dealer that about 70% of US market cars will eventually come from SA and the rest from Germany which answers the factory delivery question.
08-15-2007, 02:38 PM
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South Africa!? Ughhh.... looks like I'll be looking at BMW instead of the new W204... Either way, the new 328xi coupe looks like perfection anyway...
Its a shame german cars aren't german anymore...
- Eric
Its a shame german cars aren't german anymore...
- Eric
08-16-2007, 08:34 AM
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'14 GLK250 Diesel
Bmw?
That's a hoot - at least half of the 3ers that are imported to the US are made in BMW's South African plant. 99% of buyers don't know the difference, and don't even know to ask.
It's really time to get over this - either you trust a manufacturer to do the job right, or you don't. If you don't trust MB, that's a legitimate stance, but worrying about where it's made is rather an exercise in futility these days.
It's really time to get over this - either you trust a manufacturer to do the job right, or you don't. If you don't trust MB, that's a legitimate stance, but worrying about where it's made is rather an exercise in futility these days.
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08-16-2007, 12:59 PM
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MY2001 C320
That's a hoot - at least half of the 3ers that are imported to the US are made in BMW's South African plant. 99% of buyers don't know the difference, and don't even know to ask.
It's really time to get over this - either you trust a manufacturer to do the job right, or you don't. If you don't trust MB, that's a legitimate stance, but worrying about where it's made is rather an exercise in futility these days.
It's really time to get over this - either you trust a manufacturer to do the job right, or you don't. If you don't trust MB, that's a legitimate stance, but worrying about where it's made is rather an exercise in futility these days.
08-17-2007, 01:20 AM
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2013 650i Coupe, 2010 IS250 AWD, 1999 S500
That's a hoot - at least half of the 3ers that are imported to the US are made in BMW's South African plant. 99% of buyers don't know the difference, and don't even know to ask.
It's really time to get over this - either you trust a manufacturer to do the job right, or you don't. If you don't trust MB, that's a legitimate stance, but worrying about where it's made is rather an exercise in futility these days.
It's really time to get over this - either you trust a manufacturer to do the job right, or you don't. If you don't trust MB, that's a legitimate stance, but worrying about where it's made is rather an exercise in futility these days.
M
08-17-2007, 10:19 AM
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'14 GLK250 Diesel
China, India, wherever.....my belief continues to be that quality comes from a combinaton of design engineering, supplier supervision, and production engineering. MB has fallen down in the past on keeping suppliers' toes to the fire. And most of those problems have come from German suppliers.
I'll repeat: if you trust Mercedes to have fixed these problems at all, then German-assembled cars are not going to be superior to those assembled anywhere else. If you don't trust them, then of course you shouldn't be buying their product.
The nationality of the people holding the tools has never been an issue regarding the quality of the car coming out of the factory - it's all about how the process is managed by the company.
I'll repeat: if you trust Mercedes to have fixed these problems at all, then German-assembled cars are not going to be superior to those assembled anywhere else. If you don't trust them, then of course you shouldn't be buying their product.
The nationality of the people holding the tools has never been an issue regarding the quality of the car coming out of the factory - it's all about how the process is managed by the company.
08-17-2007, 10:45 AM
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To suggest that there's a correlation between Nationality and quality is absurd. That being said, the original question was simply what's the track record like at the East London facilities? Being in North America, I never knew that East London was providing Mercedes vehicles for the right-side market such as Asia etc.
For example, Alabama went through some growing pains, such as poor quality control etc with their M Class.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_M-Class
For example, Alabama went through some growing pains, such as poor quality control etc with their M Class.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_M-Class
