Rewind to the year 2000. BMW was rocking and rolling.
Its products were unbelievably good and the marque was picking up serious sales steam. The vehicles looked fantastic and they drove even better. Even the company's marketing was on point with its saying "The Ultimate Driving Machine."
Fast forward to present day and BMW is a shadow of its former self.
Simply put, its standard products are OK but they're not earth shattering. Designs are phoned in. The driving dynamics that set the brand apart are long gone. It was possible to get good deals, which made buyers feel as though there was value to be had, but now those days are over. And its electric vehicles are a joke compared to Tesla.
From my seat, BMW is in a world of trouble. And its CEO just stepped down. He will not be renewing his contract with the Bavarians.
So, I've got to ask: What REALLY failed to cause Harald Krueger's early exit? A lot of folks are pointing to their EVs but I want to see what the Spies think!
When BMW AG picked Harald Krueger to run the company more than four years ago, he was the perfect candidate. Young, with a personable manner and decades of experience across the company, Krueger appeared ready to guide the venerable luxury carmaker into a future of electric, self-driving and shared automobiles.
But on Friday -- two weeks before his contract came up for renewal -- Krueger quit. Instead of leading the company through the biggest upheaval in a generation, he was felled by the transition as he failed to provide a roadmap to the future. In his farewell note, he cited the “enormous exertion” demanded of BMW employees as the company grapples with the unprecedented demands of the shift...
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