How Unilever, Coke And The Mini Car Got It So Wrong - BBC2

[mab01uk]

Business Nightmares with Evan Davis - on BBC2 9th May 8.00pm

The Mini was Britain's best-selling car ever, with more than five million purchased over the years. But its sales success disguises a surprising story - consumers got a much better deal on the Mini than they should have done.

Ford bosses were mystified at how it could be produced for such a bargain basement price, so they decided to take one apart to see how on earth it had been done.

Former Ford Product Planner Bob Howe recalled: "We analysed the Mini, we dismantled the thing completely even to the point of breaking spotwelds and we costed every component.

"Based on our analysis, Ford would have incurred £35 of cost over and above the price they were advertising it at".

It looked as though every Mini was costing £535 to make and then being sold for £500
More:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13285504

Now on iPlayer, the Mini is featured in the middle part of programme after Persil but before Coke:
Link:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... d_Designs/

[tomkidd]

Just watched this, very interesting programme

[mk1]

Watched it on iplayer last night.

The Mini stuff was hardly "news" but it was an excellent program.

[bill773mini]

And demonstrated using a July 59 too.

[graeme1293]

My favourite was that UK vacuum cleaner company that gave you a trip for two to NewYork for buyng a vacuum cleaner.

[graeme1293]

Hoover marketing fiasco. Quite funny

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style ... 71711.html

[mab01uk]

My favourite was that UK vacuum cleaner company that gave you a trip for two to NewYork for buyng a vacuum cleaner.

To be featured in next weeks programme according to the preview.