Can you afford both a new car and a trip to Europe in the same year? A friend of mine found out one purchase makes the other possible.
Several years ago, he bought a Mercedes-Benz directly from the factory and saved about $5000 USD combined for his purchase and the trip.
This is possible for one reason: He took delivery of his new car at the factory near Stuttgart.
Mercedes put him up for several nights in Europe, gave him a tour of their factory and let him drive his new car around the continent for three weeks before shipping it home. They even provided 15 days of zero-deductible comprehensive insurance!
By taking delivery in Europe, he probably saved several thousand dollars over the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) at a domestic dealership.
My friend used frequent flier miles to get there and back, so all he had to pay for were additional nights, meals, and gasoline.
Sound like a good deal? Truth is, you might be able to do even better!
Each automaker has its own procedure for taking factory deliveries in Europe, but in general, here's how it works:
1. You arrange to purchase an eligible model at your home dealership.
2. Purchase and travel arrangements are completed.
3. You travel to the factory with the necessary documents, take delivery and travel the highways of Europe.
4. Your trip ends either back at the factory or some other drop-off point in Europe.
5. The car is shipped to your home dealership and arrives a number of weeks later, where you take final delivery.
What follows are descriptions for European delivery programs at six automakers: Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Saab (temporarily suspended program until 2009) and Volvo.
