When did full factory customization go away?

[y_p_w]

My kid was asking about this when I mentioned that cars could have all sorts of options straight at the factory. The question was about why my 2004 WRX doesn't have a spoiler. I didn't want to spend the $700 or so for the factory package (I think spoiler, short-throw shifter, an turbo gauge) and didn't want dealer installed. But I explained that almost all cars come with packages in the last few decades, but as late as maybe the 80s, a lot of cars would be ordered where almost everything could be done at the factory if ordered that way.

Someone posted a video on the Black Ghost, which was a special ordered Dodge Charger that seemed to win a lot of street races. I enjoyed it, especially learning about how everything was specified by the buyer.

Anyone know for sure when fullfactory customization ceased to be a thing?

 

[UG_Passat]

When it became cost prohibitive for mainstream offerings. Having a lot of variables at the assembly plant increases costs of production

If you have the money for an exclusive brand like a bentley, Rolls Royce, etc... they offer full factory customization.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Around the time Japanese cars started getting popular in the US. They brought the idea of packages, etc.

 

[NitroM3]

It has not really end per say.... if you look there are many auto manufactures that still offer full factory ordered options and upgrades but most of the time the really "kool" stuff are contracted out to specialty shops ( my guess like the Black Ghost) so that they warranty or not can be covered somewhat under a factory warranty program.
As for an assembly line special option ordered vehicle because of the numbers needed to be produced on most common vehicle it is not cost effective with them to offer full factory ordered option as a buyer for most platforms. I know at least this was still available in 2001 for BMW platforms. But their was up to a 6 month wait for a build plus delivery waiting period which could be another 6 months.
Trucks are always the exception because under FLEET orders (usually 12 or more vehicles) you can order almost any specific factory options. But some option were and are contracted to outside business to install .

 

[930.engineering]

That's one of the differences between NA and European markets. Just check UK, Dutch and German configurators (build your car) and prepare to be surprised in particular when it comes to Audi, BMW, MB, Porsche and Volvo. Hundreds of options available. Most European car buyers don't pick up a car from the lot, they spec them individually. Perhaps one of the reasons why cars use to be costlier in Europe.

 

[mightymousetech]

The Germans still do custom ordering. Every car we have on the lot has been custom ordered. We are given specific allotments, and we have to spec it the way we want it. Customers can do the same. Then there is BMW Individual for ordering custom paint/interiors which is normally a $5000 option. Love seeing the cool Individual cars come through the shop. There is a gorgeous Avus Blue 3 series that I see often in the shop with some really cool custom black leather seats.

My 135i was a custom order. Was told “your car will be built on such and such day at at a specific time. You have up until a specific day to spec it any way you want”

 

[Leo99]

That's one of the differences between NA and European markets. Just check UK, Dutch and German configurators (build your car) and prepare to be surprised in particular when it comes to Audi, BMW, MB, Porsche and Volvo. Hundreds of options available. Most European car buyers don't pick up a car from the lot, they spec them individually. Perhaps one of the reasons why cars use to be costlier in Europe.

That makes sense. Whenever I travel internationally I notice the car dealerships. Don't think I've ever seen a dealership outside of US/Can that has a lot of cars on a lot. They just have a showroom or maybe a showroom and a dozen or two cars on their lot.

 

[JeffKeryk]

In the '60s and '70s the GM bill of materials configuration options might be in the many thousands. You could get whatever you want. GM had to stock so many parts which made for insane inventory carrying costs. Production delays. Assembly errors. Fittment issues. Assembly instructions.
And a lot of left over parts that never were used.

 

[930.engineering]

Sounds like they have been too early. It's easier to do with CAM today.
Options make money because they provide a much bigger margin than the car itself. How can a nav system be worth $3500? That's several hundred percent of the actual cost. Base car margins are often single-digit percent. So options make money and lots of options make lots of money. When I visit my BMW dealer I see plenty of cars in the showroom where options are more than 30 % of the total price. Given that the margins of these options are much better the manufacturer (not the dealer) likely makes similar money with the options as he does with the base car, perhaps sometimes even more. Shipping the cars overseas makes it much more complicated though. It isn't much of an issue to wait two months, though waiting a year likely is.
.

 

[Blinker]

It started in the 1980’s thanks to Honda, not saying it’s a bad thing. The reason is because leasing vehicles started to become available as opposed to purchasing (retail).

With a lease agreement, there is an agreed upon residual value (rv) that is determined by the finance company, often with the help dealer lobbying groups (NADA), and auto auction companies.

Leasing vehicles that are all ordered with individual options makes it extremely difficult to determine the RV amount. Also, finance companies advertise low lease payments to generate business. It is nearly impossible to advertise lease payments when the vehicles are equipped differently.

For example: Take 15 new Accord EX trim level units on the dealer lot, say 10 of them are individually equipped with special options, some with sunroofs, some with spoilers, some with upgraded infortainment systems, some with different wheels, some with side mountings, etc. That creates a massive problem for Honda Financial, who is trying to advertise a certain payment to keep things easy breezy for the customer.

Not offering individual options keeps things easier to predict, lease payments, end of term RV. Also, this is a big reason why for instance Honda has a great resale value. They are able to precisely control the value of their vehicles this way.

Its worth mentioning that auto manufacturers would have no problem allowing customer special orders. It’s the finance companies that would rather vehicles be equipped a certain way.

Edit: also, take a look at some Honda and Toyota dealership inventory. They often have a certain amount of inventory that is lease only and retail on. The retail only vehicles often have dealer added options or accessories that the finance company won’t allow for leasing. The added accessories are too hard to predict a residue value on.

 

[930.engineering]

Leasing is similarly popular in Europe. Virtually any new BMW 5, Audi A6, Mercedes E is leased even though they're all differently specced. No issue for the manufacturer supplied IT system to calculate the corresponding lease payments. This isn't 1980 anymore.
.

 

[Blinker]

Leasing is similarly popular in Europe. Virtually any new BMW 5, Audi A6, Mercedes E is leased even though they're all differently specced. No issue for the manufacturer supplied IT system to calculate the corresponding lease payments. This isn't 1980 anymore.
.

Europe is also a completely different market than the US

 

[vavavroom]

Most people in the US are not willing to wait for a made-to-order vehicle. This is the land of instant gratification after all.

 

[Blinker]

The best example I can share is the standardization of the rear window defroster. For the longest time it was an individual option. As leasing became more popular it started to become a standard equipped item.

GM for example, you could purchase new sedans, even Camaros without a rear window defroster through around 2002 in several of their vehicles. Now, imagine leasing a Chevy Lumina in TX, and at the end of the lease the leasing company wants to sell it at auction. Problem is GM sedans typically have higher resale value in the midwest as opposed to the south or west coast states. You start running into problems when dealer groups in the Midwest want to purchase southern GM cars at auction due to their lower price, but they soon realized a lot of those cars don’t have a rear defroster. It creates a major problem for the finance companies off loading these units at auction, hence they sell for less.

I know very much about the automotive finance industry so the words I am speaking are the truth on that.

 

[Blinker]

Most people in the US are not willing to wait for a made-to-order vehicle. This is the land of instant gratification after all.

You’ve gone off topic. We’re not talking about customer ordered cars, we are discussing the mere fact that individual options are no longer available, now they are included in trim level packages.

15-20 years ago you could walk on a GM dealership lot and you’d be hard pressed to find multiple identical equipped vehicles. Most of the time they had different options selected by the dealer. The dealers ordered them in endless configurations because they had the ability to.

 

[y_p_w]

That makes sense. Whenever I travel internationally I notice the car dealerships. Don't think I've ever seen a dealership outside of US/Can that has a lot of cars on a lot. They just have a showroom or maybe a showroom and a dozen or two cars on their lot.

The one thing I can think of is Tesla. However, their model is way different than any other in that there are no dealerships - only factory owned showrooms. They had to get laws passed in some states to allow it. Also - delivery is usually not at the showroom.

I don't believe there's a whole lot of customization with Tesla either. And a lot of the levels are where the car itself isn't different, but the programming taps into different performance levels. Like when they've allowed temporary updates to increase the range during hurricane evacuations. And they've even given owners free charging during such times.

 

[Blinker]

No issue for the manufacturer supplied IT system to calculate the corresponding lease payments. This isn't 1980 anymore.

Monthly payment is one thing, residual value is another. If the finance company predicts, yes, PREDICTS a bad residual value then they will lose money selling that vehicle at auction. Residual values are often miscalculated.

Residual values are either predicted by the finance company, or by a third party company that provides this service. There are often wrong RV amounts predicted. Sometimes in the banks favor, sometimes not. Banks are loving the increase in RV amount right now at auction.

In the event that the RV amounts were wrongly predicted, having the vehicles equipped with the same or similar equipment content helps minimize their losses at auction.

 

[vavavroom]

You’ve gone off topic. We’re not talking about customer ordered cars, we are discussing the mere fact that individual options are no longer available, now they are included in trim level packages.

15-20 years ago you could walk on a GM dealership lot and you’d be hard pressed to find multiple identical equipped vehicles. Most of the time they had different options selected by the dealer. The dealers ordered them in endless configurations because they had the ability to.

I guess I don't remember buying my BMW correctly. Trim level aside I do remember adding several options. Of course, much may have changed in 7 years.

 

[kschachn]

Sometimes too it's not as clear-cut as it appears, when we were looking for a new car we were looking at a manual transmission Accord. I don't recall the exact details but one of them should not have been available with the manual at that trim level. The dealer said that Honda could and would build vehicles with some options regardless of what was in the literature.

 

[Silver]

That's one of the differences between NA and European markets. Just check UK, Dutch and German configurators (build your car) and prepare to be surprised in particular when it comes to Audi, BMW, MB, Porsche and Volvo. Hundreds of options available. Most European car buyers don't pick up a car from the lot, they spec them individually. Perhaps one of the reasons why cars use to be costlier in Europe.

Heck my goal has been to find a vehicle that runs like it's supposed to with no factory defects or funny noises, so I'd be afraid to special order one. I guess it's not such a big problem in EU.