I'm not talking about out of the lot inventory or whatever. All I'm saying is that BMW, like every other carmaker in the world, when telling you what they've "sold" for a month or whatever is what they shipped to their dealers. Independent reports might track registrations, but BMW, MB, Toyota, Honda, etc. etc. don't when they're issuing their sales press releases.

When a vehicle is "sold" out it means that the dealer body has ordered all of them. Same thing with Smart and other other hot item right now.

BMW is no different in this regard. If in Europe it "usually" means that an order placed to the dealer is sold directly to a customer then BMW needs to issue 2 press releases, one that tallies deliveries and one that tallies sales. There is no way to differeniate between the two which is why every carmaker, when issuing a statement about sales goes by delieveries doesn't matter where it is.

BMW is no different Eni.


Mercedes, Audi, Lexus and all the other luxury car makers sell a lot of custom orders here in the U.S. also. Look on MBWorld and see how many people place and order for a car built to their specific specs. When such a car is delievered it is delivered right along with the all the rest, it isn't marked out as being anything different.


Most cars from any brand (except some U.S. brand who can't sell squat anyway) are sold within the month or so after they're shipped to the dealer, but the corporate press releases don't speak to that, only what is shipped to the dealer in the first place.

M