At the beginning of the 1990s the German car industry had its back to the wall. Japanese competitors were demonstrating significant advantages in terms of quality and productivity. Consultants warned that only a few global car groups would survive. Instead of following the Japanese concepts of lean production, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Porsche and Audi developed a new innovative premium brand strategy and initiated a revolution in the industry by setting innovative benchmarks. This book analyzes the story.

'Who - like myself - has followed and partially influenced the way of the German Premium brands to global leadership, is impressed by the quality of research and analysis as well as the competence of the authors. This is not only a book about the achievements of the past, but also a guideline for the future of the automotive industry.' - Prof. Juergen Hubbert, Head of Mercedes-Benz 1996 -2004

'The term 'Premium' designates not only car brands, but can also be applied to something written - Philipp G. Rosengarten and Christoph B. Stuermer have written such a first-class book. Premium Power is an exciting and informative study, convincing from the first page to the last.' - Dr. Wendelin Wiedeking, President and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG

'Rosengarten and Stürmer get to the heart of how four companies came to define the premium automotive sector and then collectively grow that sector beyond all expectations. It is the story of a German industrial miracle.' - Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG

'Premium Power provides a detailed chronicle of the key developments that have given rise to Germany's extraordinary premium car manufacturing base. I highly recommend this book for automotive enthusiasts interested in appreciating the innovation and creativity of these leading automotive manufacturers and the important role the premium car sector plays on the global automotive stage.' -Roger S. Penske, Chairman, Penske Corporation

Autorentext
PHILIPP G. ROSENGARTEN is a Senior Automotive Analyst at the Global Insight Automotive Group, the market leader in the area of automotive analysis and forecast. He is, amongst others, responsible for the global luxury car segment. He holds a Diploma of Business Administration from the Free University Berlin and completed a MPhil about car component suppliers at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

CHRISTOPH B. STUERMER is a Senior Automotive Analyst at the Global Insight Automotive Group, the market leader in the area of automotive analysis and forecast, responsible for the German car market and the German car manufacturer. He holds a Diploma of Economics at Heidelberg University and has worked for DaimlerChrysler in various positions, such as the Marketing Strategy Department at Mercedes-Benz cars, where he was responsible for portfolio-management and strategic planning.

Inhalt
What is a Premium Car Brand? BMW: From Motorbike to Automobile Mercedes-Benz: The Inventor of the Automobile Porsche: The Sports Car Shop AUDI: Vorsprung durch Technik (Advantage by Technology) Co-operation, Competition and Perception of Premium Brands The Design-Innovation-Sector Matrix (DIS Matrix) Success Factors of Premium Brands Challenges for Premium Brands Insights for Other Companies and Industries Appendix: Premium Brands Theory