One of the unique experiences of buying a car from certain European manufacturers has been the option of taking delivery at the factory. For decades, companies like Volvo, Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche offered American buyers this option, but that could come to an end.
BMW recently announced it would be ending its European Delivery program this year, accepting its final order in late May. No longer will American buyers be able to accept the keys to their new car in the majestic setting of BMW Welt – directly across the street from the company’s Munich headquarters and factory – then drive it out and hit the Autobahn for a little get-to-know-you session in its natural environment.
I had the pleasure of experiencing this as part of a press launch in 2008. While I didn’t get to keep the car, a pre-production 335d sedan, I did have the pleasure of the most professional delivery handover ever, followed by an amazing drive to the Italian Alps on a variety of roads. It made me want to buy a new BMW just so I could repeat the journey with my family.
European delivery is more than a purchase, it’s an investment in a relationship…
Alas, that never happened, and it looks like it never will. BMW is just the latest manufacturer to end its tourist program. Audi was the first of the premium brands to it in 2008, and BMW’s move leaves just Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Volvo in the mix.
The programs all had admittedly low take rates from American consumers, who often succumb to a combination of the current finance or lease incentives and the take-it-home-now insistence of our dealerships. Buying a car on European delivery takes forethought and planning before the purchase, a commitment of time and money to travel for delivery, and a degree of patience waiting for the car to arrive stateside after touring Europe. We seem to have less tolerance for all of those things these days.
Nevertheless, this option is one of the few differentiators for European brands in a market driving itself toward homogeny. European delivery is more than a purchase: it’s an investment in a relationship; it’s a memory that can’t be duplicated; it’s a unique touchpoint for the brand. And we’ll miss it when the last carmaker pulls the plug forever.
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