WSJ Article On Mercedes Slide...
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: Torquay, England
E-class E300e Estate, Sprinter (stretched limo)
Originally Posted by johna1
Ah, yes, but the old Rover's are another story.
My first proper car (ignoring a Mk2 Zephyr which was a bomb), was a beautiful old 3litre Rover, with full leather and wood interior.
It had some very advanced features such as a switch that changed the fuel gauge to show the oil level, an ashtray with a container under it, so that every time you closed it, it emptied itself, so that every time you opened it, it was clean! And although it was a manual gearbox, it had an electric overdrive with a kick down just like an auto.
Later I had the 3500V8 which was also a pretty cool car.
My first proper car (ignoring a Mk2 Zephyr which was a bomb), was a beautiful old 3litre Rover, with full leather and wood interior.
It had some very advanced features such as a switch that changed the fuel gauge to show the oil level, an ashtray with a container under it, so that every time you closed it, it emptied itself, so that every time you opened it, it was clean! And although it was a manual gearbox, it had an electric overdrive with a kick down just like an auto.
Later I had the 3500V8 which was also a pretty cool car.
Take care and sorry for going off topic,
John
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Mar 2004
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From: Ft. Lauderdale Area, USA
2015 ML 350
I remember Sterling dealerships here in NY. What it was, was that Honda made a luxury car division called Acura & set up a dealer network & also made the platform available to a British company we were told was "Sterling" who built the body, and the interior. The 2 cars "running gear" were exactly the same but the cars looked completely different from one another, inside & out. Back then, the Japanese built body designs were 3 boxes & uninspired, so the Sterling looked better inside & out. Obviously, the Japanese learned what Americans like real fast!
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 491
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From: Irvine, CA, USA
Tesla
ok back on topic...
I have rode in and drive in numerous Lexus models. They have come a long way since the original LS400 and ES250. But they still do not have the handling characteristic found in German cars, with the exception of IS300 which is getting VERY close. Many of my ex-MB friends have switched to Lexus due to reliability issues. I get a lot of "are you sure you want to get another MB?" comments when I was shopping. Hopefully my new W211 will be reliable enough to prove them wrong. But in the meantime I am still shopping for that extended warranty just in case.
I have rode in and drive in numerous Lexus models. They have come a long way since the original LS400 and ES250. But they still do not have the handling characteristic found in German cars, with the exception of IS300 which is getting VERY close. Many of my ex-MB friends have switched to Lexus due to reliability issues. I get a lot of "are you sure you want to get another MB?" comments when I was shopping. Hopefully my new W211 will be reliable enough to prove them wrong. But in the meantime I am still shopping for that extended warranty just in case.
Super Member
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 972
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From: DFW
BMW M850i Gran Coupe
Originally Posted by steph280
Do you see any Sterling dealers now?
Sorry, didn't realize you're in NZ. Sterling was a joint venture (forgot who, but involved UK and US) to produce luxury cars in the US. Their quality issues drove them out of business.
Sorry, didn't realize you're in NZ. Sterling was a joint venture (forgot who, but involved UK and US) to produce luxury cars in the US. Their quality issues drove them out of business.
Out Of Control!!
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 15,901
Likes: 4,630
From: North Scottsdale, AZ
'71 Pinto
Chrysler keeps its parent afloat!
Well forget about quality, now those lying WSJ *******s (John, that’s for you
) are saying DaimlerChrysler net fell 63% due mainly to Mercedes woes.
Sorry, I don’t have the time to post a link right now, I’ll post when I get back. That is, of course, posts before me.
Well forget about quality, now those lying WSJ *******s (John, that’s for you
) are saying DaimlerChrysler net fell 63% due mainly to Mercedes woes. Sorry, I don’t have the time to post a link right now, I’ll post when I get back. That is, of course, posts before me.
Thread Starter
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Joined: Jan 2003
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From: Dedham MA
2015 C300
Two recent WSJ articles...the MB earning overview and a message from Eckhard Cordes, the head of Mercedes car group.
http://online.wsj.com/article_print/...650080,00.html
"Auto maker DaimlerChrysler AG (DCX) Thursday (2/10) said fourth-quarter net profit fell 63% on weaker-than-expected earnings from traditional cash cow Mercedes...The ongoing troubles at Mercedes Car Group, which manages the Mercedes-Benz and Smart brands, led the company to kick off a savings program aimed at improving the division's earnings by EUR3 billion and yielding a 7% operating profit margin by 2007. In 2004, the division's operating profit margin shrunk to 3.4%.
http://online.wsj.com/article_print/...002223,00.html
"Mercedes Car Group, which manages the Mercedes-Benz and Smart brands, is traditionally DaimlerChrysler's cash cow. But quality problems, aging Mercedes-Benz models, and losses at the small-car Smart brand have led to a sharp decline in the unit's profits."
Someone at the WSJ must have gotten a bad Benz!!
http://online.wsj.com/article_print/...650080,00.html
"Auto maker DaimlerChrysler AG (DCX) Thursday (2/10) said fourth-quarter net profit fell 63% on weaker-than-expected earnings from traditional cash cow Mercedes...The ongoing troubles at Mercedes Car Group, which manages the Mercedes-Benz and Smart brands, led the company to kick off a savings program aimed at improving the division's earnings by EUR3 billion and yielding a 7% operating profit margin by 2007. In 2004, the division's operating profit margin shrunk to 3.4%.
http://online.wsj.com/article_print/...002223,00.html
"Mercedes Car Group, which manages the Mercedes-Benz and Smart brands, is traditionally DaimlerChrysler's cash cow. But quality problems, aging Mercedes-Benz models, and losses at the small-car Smart brand have led to a sharp decline in the unit's profits."
Someone at the WSJ must have gotten a bad Benz!!
