Manufacturing Trends in the German Automotive Industry

Following the World Financial Crisis of 2008, the automotive manufacturing industry became witness to forceful change. Manufacturers around the globe began to experience heavy losses attributable to falling worldwide demand. Perhaps most striking, however, are the effects of the crisis on the automotive industry in Germany. Long considered a cornerstone for innovation, Germany also prides itself as the birthplace of the automobile, a tradition owing back to Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler in the 1880s. Given that automotive manufacturing in Germany is also one of the largest sources of employment, GDP, and tax revenue for the country, it becomes important to ensure the viability of this industry. This work looks at manufacturing and sales trends of German passenger vehicles from the automakers Volkswagen AG (and therein Audi), Daimler AG, BMW, and Porsche, in order to see if their current manufacturing strategies will remain economically justified and sustainable in the long run. The analysis should help illuminate the strengths and weaknesses of this specific industry, and should be of interest to professionals in the Supply Chain and Manufacturing fields.