"the Volkswagen Group has lost $2.2 billion on the hand-built, 16-cylinder Bugatti Veyron since its launch in 2003. But unlike all other vehicles, those losses came on sales of only 367 cars ? meaning that despite charging a minimum of $2 million for each Veyron, VW had taken an average loss of $6.2 million on every one."
"Despite those costs, the Veyron isn't the largest financial calamity created by an European automaker. VW's own Phaeton sedan, another Piech attempt to move VW upmarket, has lost $2.7 billion. And Berstein reckons no model has even failed worse than the first-generation Smart fortwo, a joint venture between Mercedes and the Swiss watch brand that fell wickedly short of sales expectations. Between a new factory, all-new models with no shared parts and new dealerships, Mercedes lost $4.5 billion on Smart between 1997 and 2003, a level of futility that may never be matched. Henry Ford would have known better."
http://autos.yahoo.com/blogs/motoram...204551966.html
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