End of the line for current C-class

[ian l]

Just been told by my dealer that MBUK is not accepting any more factory orders for the current C-class. He claims the new model will not be available until July 2007 and that is assuming I place an order now without knowing either the price or spec of the new model. If I wait until the new model is officially released in the UK he suspects it will be September/October before I see the car! If this is true I suspect there will be a lot of disgruntled MB salespeople about. Seems an odd way of doing business. Has anyone else heard the same story?

 

[Rory]

I remember this happening in the past - I think it must have been when the W203 first came out, and a friend who wanted one as a company car ended up with an E Class for the same monthly lease cost.

 

[hawk20]

Just been told by my dealer that MBUK is not accepting any more factory orders for the current C-class. He claims the new model will not be available until July 2007 and that is assuming I place an order now without knowing either the price or spec of the new model. If I wait until the new model is officially released in the UK he suspects it will be September/October before I see the car! If this is true I suspect there will be a lot of disgruntled MB salespeople about. Seems an odd way of doing business. Has anyone else heard the same story?

Well, let us hope Mercedes are learning at last. With the CL, they have been dumping them at discounts of 30% or so (often with 20 miles on them and sold as demonstrators). One £75k listed one was sold at £50k with 1000 miles on the clock. Disgraceful. It wrecks residuals for the rest of us.

If they are using the next 6 months or so to sell off the stock of C class cars at the factory and those in showrooms, good job too. Your residual may be protected.

 

[robbo]

Well I was kind of hoping to pick up an end of line C320CDI at a massive discount, so I hope there is plenty of overstocking!

 

[hawk20]

Well I was kind of hoping to pick up an end of line C320CDI at a massive discount, so I hope there is plenty of overstocking!

Trust me: there will be.

Even just for the facelift on the E class they offered over £4000 off the pre-facelift models (brand new, zero miles).

 

[Junes]

Fwih

I don't know if the new C-class for Britian will also be produced in South Africa, but FWIW, the new C-class production will start in February and the last of the factory ordered current model will end in November. The new C-class will be available oversees (outside of SA) from March and only in June in SA. More than 2000 orders have been placed in SA already (that is a lot considering that the current model sells about 1,200 per month currently)

 

[DC_insider]

I don't know if the new C-class for Britian will also be produced in South Africa

The UK will not be supplied with any SA assembled 204 series C-Class. SA factory will supply the USA in the future.

 

[hawk20]

The UK will not be supplied with any SA assembled 204 series C-Class. SA factory will supply the USA in the future.

So where will they make the ones for the UK please?

 

[niva441]

Apparently Sport Coupe production is transferring to Brazil

 

[DC_insider]

So where will they make the ones for the UK please?

UK models will come from Germany.

 

[jberks]

Just been told by my dealer that MBUK is not accepting any more factory orders for the current C-class.

It makes sense - there will be a fair bit of retooling and testing before production starts I'd imagine.
Whilst they may not be accepting factory orders, that doesn't mean they aren't selling them anymore. Lots of great deals to be had ....

Word of warning though - end of run models are great value (extras galore) until you come to sell them when you find that they've depreciated a lot more. Just make sure the purchae proice reflects this.

 

[hawk20]

UK models will come from Germany.

HOO -flipping-RAY. To pay luxury price for third world production never seems right.

 

[Junes]

HOO -flipping-RAY. To pay luxury price for third world production never seems right.

Like those wonderful Freelanders and S-type Jags???

Then I suggest you stay clear of any Golf 5, BMW 3, Noble currently produced in AFRICA, oh the horror...
and you better demand a big discount when your next CAT fails as a large number are produced north of Pretoria

idjit

 

[robbo]

Yes, it was a bit of a dumb comment, wasnt it!

 

[hawk20]

Like those wonderful Freelanders and S-type Jags???

Then I suggest you stay clear of any Golf 5, BMW 3, Noble currently produced in AFRICA, oh the horror...
and you better demand a big discount when your next CAT fails as a large number are produced north of Pretoria

idjit

But I'm not referring to South Africa which I doubt many would call a third world country. My point for what its worth, is that some German cars charge luxury prices and this is often justified on the basis of the high labour costs and a highly skilled workforce. To pay the prices and then find the car is really made in a low labour cost country, with a far from highly trained or skilled workforce isn't really fair, is it?

I remember when buying Fords many tried to select the German produced models and reckoned them more reliable e.g. the Ghia models.

Moving ML production to the southern states of America (not third world, of course not, but where there was no tradition of car building) just might be one of the reasons why it regularly finished bottom of the JD Power tables.

And anyway what is wrong with wanting Sheffield steel to be made in Sheffield, Scotch whisky in Scotland, Swiss watches in Switzerland and so on. If I bought a Rolex for several thousand and found it had been made in China I would be annoyed. And why shouldn't I be? Nothing to do with political correctness. Everything to do with customer choice.

 

[grpar]

Seems rather odd, does it not .....

.... that if you accept the content of this thread, then no more factory orders are being accepted for the current C-class model ??

The current production lead time was generally 12-16 weeks in the (S.African) factory, so even allowing for the new (German, thank god !) factory to tool up and be production-ready, a gap of several months appears a tad stretching it .... anyone know the real story .... ??

 

[Schtum]

Like those wonderful Freelanders and S-type Jags???

Then I suggest you stay clear of any Golf 5, BMW 3, Noble currently produced in AFRICA, oh the horror...
and you better demand a big discount when your next CAT fails as a large number are produced north of Pretoria

idjit

I wouldn'y buy any of the cars you mention above. I had a go in an S-Type a while back. Every time 3 gear was selected you could not help but open the ashtray at the same time. :???:

Forgive me, but if I buy a German car, I would expect it was designed and made in Germany!?

I have a Honda VFR and surprise surprise, it was made in Japan, not deepest darkest Peru.

 

[hawk20]

I wouldn'y buy any of the cars you mention above. I had a go in an S-Type a while back. Every time 3 gear was selected you could not help but open the ashtray at the same time. :???:

Forgive me, but if I buy a German car, I would expect it was designed and made in Germany!?

I have a Honda VFR and surprise surprise, it was made in Japan, not deepest darkest Peru.

How sad you now feel you have to say 'forgive me' for wanting German engineering to be just that; the thought police are everywhere.

Try this first Chinese car on sale in Europe posted by Schtum elsewhere: -
http://driving.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,22749-1783784,00.html

 

[Rory]

.... that if you accept the content of this thread, then no more factory orders are being accepted for the current C-class model ??

The current production lead time was generally 12-16 weeks in the (S.African) factory, so even allowing for the new (German, thank god !) factory to tool up and be production-ready, a gap of several months appears a tad stretching it .... anyone know the real story .... ??

Sounds feasible - although the fact that RHD saloons are built in South Africa adds a bit of confusion. However many parts will be common, so the whole W203 supply chain needs to change to W204.
They'll stop W203 in Germany, change over the tooling etc, then fairly quickly start building LHD W204's so there's (ideally) plenty of them available at launch day. Then they'll add RHD models at a later date.

 

[Schtum]

How sad you now feel you have to say 'forgive me' for wanting German engineering to be just that; the thought police are everywhere.

Try this first Chinese car on sale in Europe posted by Schtum elsewhere: -
http://driving.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,22749-1783784,00.html

Just wait till they start making Rover's!