I worked in Munich for some years and lived in a hotel opposite the BMW plant, as a result of which I got to know some of the BMW staff. I remember one guy who was their armrest and centre console specialist covering all models, which was probably just 3,5,6 and 7 series at that time. If I recall correctly the design and development budget for arm rest and centre consoles was in excess of the current Morgan turnover.
Against that perspective I think Morgan do pretty well.
+1
Before I retired, one of my clients was a manufacturer of specialist equipment used to shred metal (mostly cars). One of their products was a "block cracker". BMW's UK engine plant was one of their customers - they would destroy faulty blocks to ensure they never made it into the parts chain. This poses two questions: 1) What proportion of blocks are faulty that this investment was needed? 2) How many other investments are there in multinational car manufacturers that are linked to quality that are only affordable because of their scale?
Paul Costock, UK 2014 4/4 Rolls Royce Garnet Red Disco 5 Teddy - 17h1 Irish Draught cross
