News! A Phone Call from Dave Schembri

[FWOIII]

I've "heard" that at all 3 ports the total in the US is around 1500...nothing official..

and kwagar, thanks for all your effort. And you must be a fellow Harley owner as well.

[dbwill]

If you are going to roughly even flow deliveries throughout the year and figure they upped the allocation to 24,000 cars that is not even a 1 month supply. So the pipeline must open more.

[Carnut]

Didn't Schembri say in San Jose that they had the factory build 2000 cars? That would put 2K on shore!!!

[saronian]

Many thanks kwagar for having the presence of mind to glean some encouraging information. This goes a long way in reinforcing the belief that PAG wants a big success in the US this year. I can't wait to see the cars make their way to dealerships this month.

[SmartCard]

Originally Posted by kwagar

SmartCard,
I won't say more but your number is too low!

I'm sure the number already built for US shores is much higher (as another poster has suggested in this thread).....I'm just going by the tracking data at the other site. Of course, those smarts are all Baltimore bound, and now we know that two other ports will be used as well, so I guess that means there are ships unaccounted for! I'm sure by the end of the month, that higher number will be all on US soil, but I think this first wave to hit dealers will be smaller. Just thought I'd throw this out because I know some of you will be disappointed if your car doesnt arrive next week! ;)

[spdickey]

BH Benz is expecting 65 or so cars next week. It may be a little higher than normal because the North Hollywood location isn't ready.

[BimmerDob]

Bump.... Thanks for the post / info and being a standup guy with smart.

[SmartBob]

BH Benz is expecting 65 or so cars next week.

That sounds like a LOT of cars that soon but then you guys have a bunch more reservations in that area.

[Carnut]

65 is only 2 trailer loads.

[Old smart]

Originally Posted by SmartCard

I'm sure the number already built for US shores is much higher (as another poster has suggested in this thread).....I'm just going by the tracking data at the other site. Of course, those smarts are all Baltimore bound, and now we know that two other ports will be used as well, so I guess that means there are ships unaccounted for! I'm sure by the end of the month, that higher number will be all on US soil, but I think this first wave to hit dealers will be smaller. Just thought I'd throw this out because I know some of you will be disappointed if your car doesnt arrive next week! ;)

Of the two additional ports reported (Jacksonville & Long Beach), Jax does not involve "lost ships." Jax is a follow-on port after Baltimore, though not on every voyage; cargo remains onboard on a "traveling manifest." The voyages commence at Bremerhaven, include Zeebrugge, NY/NJ, Balt., and variously terminate at Brunswick, GA and/or Jax.

Long Beach is a head-scratcher though. Wallenius-Wilhelmsen doesn't directly serve that port (only Port Hueneme, CA & Tacoma, WA - and those via Japan!), and what they do do is a sparse schedule that requires transshipment at Manzanillo, Panama. Doesn't seem cost-effective. M-B Cars' other carrier (Hoegh/HUAL) does not serve the USWC directly either, though like WWL, they provide Brem./Balt. service, via the Caribbean.

N.B. Some voyages call at Halifax before the U.S., so every smart manifested on those voyages may not be for the U.S. Gets complicated.