I think it all just boils down to the difficulty (impossibility?) of making hand-built products to a sufficient quality whilst keeping the price affordable.
It's perfectly possible to hand-build cars of impeccable quality in every respect, but the time and costs involved in doing so would push the costs into territory where only millionaires could afford to buy them.
On the other hand, it's possible to mass produce stuff to perfect quality and consistency, but then you need to exploit economies of scale and use automated systems to eliminate human error - and more crucially you need complete control of the entire production process. Buying in components is a risky business and you need the clout to make sure your suppliers conform absolutely to your quality standards. If even manufacturers like Porsche and MB get caught out now and again, what chance have MMC got?
MMC are not only treading this narrow and tricky path but are also having to deal with increasingly restrictive legislation - just imagine how easy it would be for them if they could produce cars to the same standards as 20 years ago. Their production costs are rising and pushing their products into the zone where their customers are less tolerant of sub-optimal performance. I don't envy them.
Tim H. 1986 4/4 VVTi Sport, 2002 LR Defender, 2022 Mini Cooper SE
