Return to Hong Kong Island for a Century

Chapter 416 Lille's Bold Remarks (First Update)
"BMW cars are also very safe, with seat belts and airbags for both the driver and front passenger."

"This is very rare among cars of the same type."

"Furthermore, the air conditioning technology in this car is also world-leading," Lille continued.

"Our company is the most professional automotive testing company."

"We take responsibility for the samples we test. BMW cars have achieved world-leading thermal efficiency and have the lowest fuel consumption among engines of the same type."

"Furthermore, BMW's chassis tuning has reached an extremely high level."

"Furthermore, in load tests, hill climbing tests, and cornering tests, it has achieved an extremely high level of performance compared to other vehicles of its type."

"This is the fuel consumption of BMW vehicles tested by our company under different conditions, on asphalt roads and gravel roads."

"To be precise, the BMW van is a multi-purpose vehicle that can be used to carry passengers, cargo, and as a work vehicle."

“Of course, the customer experience isn’t very good. Of course, if you have the money to opt for BMW’s airline seats, the experience will be excellent, but BMW offers very good value for money.” Lille didn’t even ask Morgan for his opinion and spoke on his own.

"Mr. Lille, when did you first notice BMW?" the host asked.

"The Panda plane, the first time our company saw that the Panda plane was produced by a car manufacturing company, we became interested in BMW. We were also very curious that a car company would produce an airplane. Of course, this is not unusual in Amer.

“But that’s the mysterious East, and of course, it also benefits from Mr. Li Song’s name. In fact, I also have a Panda plane that hasn’t been delivered yet. I visited the crowdfunding club and saw the entire Panda plane. I have to say, the craftsmanship is exquisite,” Lil replied.

Upon hearing this, the host asked in surprise, "Mr. Lille, you also have a panda plane?"

"Of course, it's because I'm poor. I don't have the money to buy a propeller plane that costs 50,000, not even if I take out a loan from the bank..."

"But I can afford the Panda plane. Moreover, the Panda plane's engine hot casting technology and one-piece casting of the fuselage mean that the plane will have a lower failure rate, a longer lifespan, be lighter, and more fuel-efficient. Of course, the biggest reason is that it's cheap."

“My family owns a farm, and as you know, there was a financial crisis last year and this year, prices rose, and I was at risk of losing my job at any time. So, of course I had to buy a cheap plane, and in fact, my decision was correct,” Lille continued.

"Then congratulations. As far as I know, a used Panda plane is worth at least $25,000," the host said.

"Yes, but nobody sells them because the craftsmanship is exquisite. Of course, if I were to lose my job or face difficulties paying my bills, I would sell them to pay my bills."

"Our company started paying attention to BMW around this time. As soon as BMW launched a car, we bought two prototypes for testing, one 1.2L and one 1.5L, both naturally aspirated and manual transmission minivans. We wanted to buy an automatic version, but unfortunately we couldn't."

"Our company tested and disassembled the two cars before obtaining the relevant test data, which I believe you have already seen in the newspaper."

"To be honest, I was shocked to see such advanced technology in a car that costs less than $10,000. It uses more advanced aluminum alloy materials and transmission materials than other cars of its kind, as well as advanced manufacturing processes, a hot-cast engine, and higher thermal efficiency."

"Any one of these points could be a major selling point, but BMW hasn't advertised them..."

Upon hearing this, the host said, "As far as I know, BMW's production capacity is insufficient, so there's no publicity?"

“Yes, that’s why we couldn’t buy an automatic transmission one.” Lille nodded.

Professor Morgan pretended not to exist, because he couldn't say anything.

BMW vans have their drawbacks, but even the cheapest one is more than 20% cheaper than similar models.

If you focus on these shortcomings, you'll only get criticized by the other party and by the general public.

At such a low price, it would be impossible for it to be without any drawbacks.

Moreover, this drawback can be improved by replacing the seats with more comfortable ones.

"Mr. Lille, from a professional standpoint, where do you think BMW ranks in its class?" the host asked again.

"Of course it's number one."

"So do you think such cheap BMWs will have an impact on our domestic car manufacturers?"

"It definitely will, but I think it's a good thing. It will allow our country's automakers to research more advanced engines, use more advanced manufacturing processes, and reduce costs."

"A market economy needs competition to make progress."

"Will BMW's entry into the market lead to the bankruptcy of our Amer International car company and cause workers to lose their jobs?"

"I think it's impossible because BMW cars are too popular. I don't think BMW will have enough production capacity to capture the Amer market in a short period of time."

"As for workers losing their jobs, BMW needs to sell cars and provide after-sales service. Moreover, the cheaper cars can be used as work vehicles, carrying passengers and goods, and should be good helpers for our work."

Upon hearing this, the host asked, "How would you rate the car companies in America...?"

"The problems of big companies: Chrysler launched the Imperial series of high-end cars, which had some very serious technical problems. I just don't understand why such a big company with so much R&D expenditure would design an engine with such serious technical problems."

"I don't know what the internal review mechanism of large companies is like, but such a major technical problem could not have gone unnoticed."

"Why does Ford, the same company, have a lower market share than Toyota?"

"Doesn't Ford have the technology to manufacture cars that are cheaper and more fuel-efficient?"

"No, they have the capability, it's just that big companies don't believe in the market, they only believe in their own expertise." "In fact, I once wrote to Ford Motor Company, but I never received a reply. Maybe no one even read my letter and it just ended up in the trash."

"Many departments in these large companies are filled with people with connections, and many people in these departments pretend to be busy. For example, Chrysler was able to mass-produce engines with major technical problems. So how many departments does that company have, and how many professionals do they have?"

"Moreover, the people in the headquarters or senior departments of these large companies receive the highest salaries, more than the front-line workers, but they do nothing. The profits of these large companies are consumed by these people."

"And these CEOs of large companies just create anxiety for shareholders and try every means to gain more power. In fact, after messing up one thing, these CEOs can go to work for another company..."

"Recent public opinion and proposals against BMW can be easily dismissed with a simple investigation into BMW's production capacity, the number of dealerships, and the production gap. The threat posed by BMW is nothing but a joke."

“It’s just that some management is creating anxiety among shareholders so they can access more funds and gain more authority,” Lille continued.

Lille also knew that Ford and GM were not just targeting BMW, but all imported cars.

But Lille wouldn't make it clear, because the purpose of his visit was to make the company famous; the more he said, the more famous the company would become.

The complex relationships within large companies cannot be resolved simply by replacing one or two managers.

Of course, Lille knew that he was invited to the interview because someone was behind it.

However, Lille didn't care; it was better if someone pushed for it, as that would make the company more famous.

As for what will happen to the car company's stock price, who knows?

Those car companies have nothing to do with me, and they don't have a good relationship with third-party testing companies like mine anyway. Third-party testing companies are always looking for trouble.

After listening, the host continued, "Mr. Lear, could you talk about the major technical issues of Chrysler automobiles?"

"I'm sorry, our company will release detailed data on this later," Lille continued.

"Mr. Lille, now that we've covered the advantages of BMW, how about we talk about its disadvantages, or perhaps offer some suggestions for BMW?" the host continued.

This was also planned by the TV station, because only mentioning the advantages and not the disadvantages would make them seem unfair.

"I think it would be better to replace the seats with electric seats."

"In addition, the comfort level is only average compared to similar cars."

“I hope the price can be even lower…” At this point, both Lille and the host laughed.

Many people have seen the ABC interview, which also included a test video from J.D. Company at the end.

A 1.5L seven-seater van carrying a family, including their pets, sped along the asphalt road and the gravel road.

Then came the loading of goods; the entire truck was filled with cardboard boxes of all sizes.

There are also tool vehicles used for car repair, which contain various tools.

Finally, there's the converted motorhome.

Of course, to avoid any suspicion of advertising, no prices were disclosed.

After watching the ABC interview, the shareholders of Amy's car company launched into a tirade of abuse.

Because everyone knows the company's stock price is going to fall.

Even though GM still holds the largest market share, it cannot avoid a decline.

The fact that public opinion is targeting BMW means that domestic car companies are afraid.

"That damned J.D.!"

"Those damn third-party companies!" Chrysler's shareholders and management were seething with rage over the third-party companies as flaws in the new car were discovered.

In fact, many large companies begin to decline from within.

Chrysler and McDonnell Douglas both failed because they blindly launched new products with flaws.

After the DC-10 crashed, McDonnell Douglas launched a new aircraft that turned out to be even worse, leading to its acquisition by Boeing.

Chrysler's demise was also due to the technical problems with its luxury models.

Of course, after Boeing acquired McDonnell Douglas, it seemed to have inherited McDonnell Douglas's capabilities, and the aircraft it built were, to put it mildly, questionable.

When people on Wall Street saw the news, they raised their glasses in celebration. For these people in the financial industry, this was an opportunity, a chance to make a fortune.

Moreover, the program was more effective than expected, with Lille directly addressing the internal problems of large corporations.

Many newspapers will have more radical reports tomorrow morning, and of course, car companies will definitely retaliate, which is even better, as it will have a greater impact on stock prices. After all, a simple decline is not good either.

(End of this chapter)