Production figures reveal strugglers
European production is up overall, but with some surprise losers at Porsche, BMW and Jaguar
JD Power has released its latest (usually highly accurate) estimates of the numbers of cars built in the previous quarter. Even though production was slightly up across Europe in the first three months of 2007 – 4.96m compared with 4.82m in the same period in 2006 – some manufacturers are apparently starting to struggle.
BMW is amongst them as, after almost continuous growth, sales now appear to be starting to slip. Production of the 1-series is down 37 per cent year-on-year, while the 5-series is also down by 35 per cent. These drops are partially offset by better 3-series and X3 sales, with production up 14 and 11 per cent respectively.
Jaguar is another manufacturer suffering, with XJ production down nearly 50 per cent on last year to just 2388 (compare that with 25,903 S-classes and 50,352 E-classes in the same period). Overall Jaguar has produced 27 per cent fewer cars in the first quarter of 2007 compared with 2006, with total production put at just 16,789 cars (Saab produced 33,655 cars in the same period).
Success stories include Audi (up 12 per cent), with A6 sales particularly strong, while Mercedes has also turned the corner with production up 6 per cent (though best not to mention that just 92 Maybachs were produced during the three-month period). Land Rover seems to be benefiting from the world’s insatiable demand for SUVs, with production up 17 per cent, while close neighbour Aston Martin’s production is also up, by 15 per cent compared with 2006.
Porsche, meanwhile, looks as if it is starting to struggle with the Cayman, with production down 30 per cent compared with last year. It’s interesting to note that while 9941 911s were made during the first three months of 2007, just 3986 Caymans were built over the same timeframe.
Ferrari's production levels are up for the first quarter of 2007, rising 12 per cent to 1561 units, so it should be on to crack the 6000 barrier this year for the first time. Meanwhile, over at McLaren just 28 SLRs were made compared with 83 last year. SLR Roadster production can’t start soon enough at Woking.
