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Re: 328 auto vs manual

> 
> Chris wrote:
> 
> I hate to feed fuel into this, but regarding resale value, look at the
> percentage of the types of cars sold new to determine their resale value
> years down the road.  This is a good rule of thumb.  If BMW is selling
> (suppose) 40% of 328s as auto trannys, then there will be sufficient demand
> for these cars in the used market given their popularity when sold as new.
> If on the other hand, only 10% of 328s go out with auto trannys, then I would
> be worried.  Does anyone have the figures on the percentage of sales of
> each type?  To say that if somehow if 40% of 328s sold new had auto trannys,
> but then somehow magically all used car buyers of 328s want only sticks
> and no autos is crazy (unless there is some maintenance history with the
> auto that might change this demographic pattern).  Its the same thing with
> colors.  Car colors popular when new, are again popular when sold used.
> Before getting my current M3 (a 95 automatic by the way), I had a red
> Mitsu 3000GT.  I waited 8 months to get a red one, because everyone wanted
> red.  When I sold it used, I got about $1000 more than the going rate for
> it just because it was red.  Sales demographics when new = sales demograhpics
> when used, as a general rule.....
> 
> Chris
> 

I'm not sure that it's all that simple and clear cut.  I would think
that the demographics of used car buyers are different from that of new
car buyers of any particular vehicle.  This may especially be true of
luxury cars where new car buyers may have more disposable income than
used car buyers and therefore may have a different mind-set when
deciding to purchase a car.