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I've seen more 2019 Pandas than earlier ones in this area and even a few 2020 ones so I thought that sales had been good.
General The end of Panda production?
- Thread starter Marcus Daly
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General The end of Panda production?
OP
OP
Is there any profit in them, though? Turnover's vanity, profit is sanity, as they say.
The margins on small cars are notoriously tight, and the Panda is not built in a low-cost location, like pretty much all its competitors. You need to sell small cars in very big numbers to justify continued investment in them.
Labour relations have not been good at the Pomigliano plant, either. FCA may have come to the conclusion it's just not worth it anymore. And there'll have to be winners and losers on both sides of the PSA merger.
Next Gen Panda will be a B-segment car, so bigger then now.
babbo_umbro
Established member
Margins must be negligible on the base models, but would be healthier on - vary popular - options like the 4x4 and Cross variants. Panda volumes also cut the cost of producing the (small) 500 significantly.
I'm afraid labour relations in Italy are still in the Dark Ages - the classic was when Pomigliano went on strike because the management commented that the previous strike was timed to coincide with a Napoli football match. However, Pomigliano is no worse than normal and the political fallout of closing it would be enormous.
OP
OP
Now they’re saying they’ll restart the lines on Tuesday, apparently to clear the current orders for Panda, but it doesn’t sound promising beyond that.
https://www.automotorinews.it/2020/...ne-decisa-riapertura-stabilimento-pomigliano/
https://www.automotorinews.it/2020/...ne-decisa-riapertura-stabilimento-pomigliano/
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The Google translation isn't wonderful but I feel that the factory will keep running after the backlog is cleared. It could be at far less capacity but the hybrid has development costs to try and claw back, it won't be written off as quick as you might think. If the world recovers from the aftermath of Covid-19 then the current Panda could last at least another two years but if there are second spikes of Covid-19 then who knows what companies will disappear.
babbo_umbro
Established member
The article doesn't seem quite so pessimistic - the likelihood of further pauses in production, after clearing outstanding orders, depends on the state of the market - which seems reasonable rather than doom-laden.
OP
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It’s also worth pointing out that it’s a union leader claiming the lines are restarting, not FCA.
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Look at Aston Martin, JLR and many other manufacturers, they too are on hold.
Let's just wait and see and not be negative. It is hurting those who work at the factories far more than our beloved Panda. I feel for mankind right now. This pandemic has far reaching consequences for the western world, things may never be the same, for better or for worse........... Who knows?
Let's just wait and see and not be negative. It is hurting those who work at the factories far more than our beloved Panda. I feel for mankind right now. This pandemic has far reaching consequences for the western world, things may never be the same, for better or for worse........... Who knows?
Did I ever share with you guys my story about sending a general email to Fiat in Italy back in 2018 about if an all new ‘next generation’ mode was in the works? I knew they’d not tell me anything we don’t already know... but it’d be nice if they even said that they’re working on some exciting new cars etc.
I got bombarded with calls about two weeks later from an Italian phone number from a guy at Fiat who couldn’t understand me, and that I couldn’t understand. But he repeatedly told me about the new ‘Panda Waze’ and asked if I’d like brochures sent ....
Ah well... was worth a shot.
At least now we have news of that new electric 500. Gives hope that the Panda a year or two from now will get some of that new technology.
I got bombarded with calls about two weeks later from an Italian phone number from a guy at Fiat who couldn’t understand me, and that I couldn’t understand. But he repeatedly told me about the new ‘Panda Waze’ and asked if I’d like brochures sent ....
Ah well... was worth a shot.
At least now we have news of that new electric 500. Gives hope that the Panda a year or two from now will get some of that new technology.
I'm like that with Slough..
Around 18 months ago I was reliably informed that the 500 and panda were 'underway'
The 500 arrived just before the World stopped building cars..
So there may well be some 'adjustments'
to the next phase..
Of course the PSA involvement could have a major effect too
OP
OP
The update from my dealer is that while production has restarted, they can’t give me a build date nor a delivery date for the 4x4 I ordered way back in early March. But the Italian press is reporting that the factory is already turning out 800 cars a day, roughly equivalent to pre-Kung Flu levels, so that’s encouraging.
