Date: Thu, 01 Apr 2004 14:39:59 +0100 From: Grunff <grunffnospam.com> Subject: Re: Rant - parts prices
Dave Hinz wrote: >>Why is it that dealer parts prices for Saabs are so high, when for BMWs >>they are very reasonable? I've seen this over and over again (I own >>several Saabs + a BMW). > > > Volume. That did occur to me, but I'm not so sure there's much in it. In the UK, e30 shape BMWs are more or less as common as C900s. I think what's more significant is that BMW are quite intelligent about their use of components. For instance, there is simply no need for different designs of an electric mirror mechanism - it does the same thing no matter what car it's in. So they come up with a good design, and stick to it. They use it on all their cars. When minor design mods are required, they make sure they end up with a unit that's backwards compatible. This is true of many parts on BMWs - if they can apply this approach to a particular part, they do. -- Grunff