Smart Sells 10,000 smart fortwo this year.

[SEEBURG200]

According to businesswire.com smart sold 10,000 smart fortwos since launch 6 months ago.

Here is the link.

At this rate, only 20,000 will be out by Christmas unless they pick up production.

[wahi]

It's every business's dream to sell every single one they make... In this case, they have sold forward 24 months of US-bound smarties....

[Flashman]

I think the original plan was 12,000 units. Then they upped the order to 20,000 in late 2007 (when it was evident how many reservations they were getting). So 10,000 at the mid-year point seems exactly right.

My personal guess, simply based on my personal experience with manufacturing and marketing, that they may review and decide to increase manufacturing output at the 2009 changeover point, which is somewhere end of summer/early fall. Reason is simple, it is probably not very practical to go back to manufacturers and order more 2008 parts when they are already tooling and initiating part manufacturing for the 2009 model.

If they increase output at this point, they can then probably deliver another 5,000 this year (for a total of 25K) and increase next year to 30K to meet demand. That would lower reservation waiting lists dramatically.

Honestly, I would be surprised if their business goal is not to meet "cars in stock" by next summer. Mantaining a thin delivery of units is counter productive to maximing profits and long term success. The industry standard is to have a 60 day supply of cars.

[chasingrabbits]

Flashman I couldn't agree with you more. What you say makes sense logically but so far I haven't found PAG doing much that seems logical. I waited to reserve hoping for an 09 mdl. and currently it looks like thats what I'll get.

[JPaul]

Originally Posted by Flashman

[...] it is probably not very practical to go back to manufacturers and order more 2008 parts when they are already tooling and initiating part manufacturing for the 2009 model.[...]

To quote Smartville's media spokesperson: "very few changes for 09, except colors". (The latter is subject to several threads elsewhere.)
Hambach is currently producing to the max, short of (currently unacceptable) long term commitments due to workforce legal requirements and manufacturing process.
We should get at least 24,000 cars this year.

[Flashman]

Originally Posted by JPaul

To quote Smartville's media spokesperson: "very few changes for 09, except colors". (The latter is subject to several threads elsewhere.)
Hambach is currently producing to the max, short of (currently unacceptable) long term commitments due to workforce legal requirements and manufacturing process.
We should get at least 24,000 cars this year.

Understood, but realize that in manufacturing parts are built to exact specifications and certifications as part of an order. Just because a part doesn't change from one year to the next doesn't mean it will not be part of a new order or a new (however identical) specification.

If they only ordered 50,000 "2008 turn signal indicators" then it can become quite complicated to order an additional 5,000 "2008 turn signal indicators" this late in the game when they may have already switched supplier for 2009 and everyone is gearing up for a new order of "2009 turn signal indicators". So even with no physical product changes, they are still facing a separate physical order, separate year certifications and specifications, maybe different testing procedures, maybe even different manufacturing processes (to make the same part), etc. Many variables at play.

Now multiply that by the thousands of parts needed to make a car. The paperwork alone to order additional cars late in a model year may be overwhelming. Easier to just make the '09 orders larger.

Hope that clarifies what I meant...