The Roof is on Fire!

When DaimlerChrysler AG hired Webasto Roof Systems Inc. to design and build the modular glass top for the new Mercedes C-Class sports coupe, the auto maker estimated that 30% of buyers would opt for this more expensive “panorama” lid.

The sports coupe was on U.S. roads for less than eight months when it became obvious that Stuttgart greatly underestimated demand for the innovative sliding sunroof. Even in the closed position, the smoked, tempered-glass roof affords backseat passengers an unprecedented outside view.

Webasto says more than 60% of C-Class sports coupe buyers — better than twice the initial estimate — are opting for the panorama roof, which the supplier produces and ships from its plant in Utting, Germany to DaimlerChrysler as a complete module. The roof is compression-sealed to the vehicle and, unlike traditional sunroofs, requires no drainage tubes in the body.

Webasto officials have no hard feelings toward their customer regarding the projection. “They had no point of reference, no way of knowing if anyone was going to buy this thing,” says Brett Healy, vice president of sales, marketing and strategic planning for Webasto, based in Rochester Hills, MI.

At retail, the roof is package-priced for the sports coupe at $2,700 with leather seats and Bose sound system, or $925 with RainSense windshield wipers.

Later this year, Webasto will produce a similar roof for the Mercedes E-Class. Mercedes' projected take rate? “They've told us to prepare for heavy demand,” Healy says.

The Utting plant can accommodate significant growth, so more capacity will not be necessary in Europe in the near future, Healy says. Webasto supplies a similar roof for the Renault Avantime.

In North America, however, Webasto's Rochester Hills plant and a new manufacturing facility now under construction in Lexington, KY, will build similar panorama-style roofs, with production starting in 2004. The first customer for the new Kentucky operation is Mercedes-Benz, followed by General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co.

Webasto wants to demonstrate for auto maker customers that outsourced roof modules can save money and make for simpler final assembly. From there, the company says it can supply a variety of roofs that pop on and off the same vehicle to meet the “lifestyle” demands of the consumer.

“You could roll into the dealership and have your ‘summer’ roof, then switch to the ‘storage package’ roof for trips,” Healy says. “All those things are easy once the body structure allows the roof to be glued on.”

Healy says that scenario is not in the distant future, and that Webasto recently has quoted modular roofs — not made of glass but of many different types of materials — in Europe. Similar quote packages are in the works for U.S. customers.

The strategy is risky, as the private Bavarian company is best known for the glass sunroof, which it first supplied in 1976. Webasto isn't alone in pitching far-reaching roof solutions. Meritor Automotive, before the ArvinMeritor merger, pioneered the 1-piece roof module on the quirky DaimlerChrysler Smart car.

Two years ago, Meritor was pushing the concept globally and had four potential customers considering roof modules for light vehicles. Today, ArvinMeritor has three development contracts for roof modules in North America and five in Europe.

The company will supply three different roof modules for one European vehicle, beginning next year. Erik Roeren, ArvinMeritor's general manager of roof systems-Americas, says his company's roof module will include a headliner — a capability he considers a competitive advantage over Webasto's offerings.

Last fall at the Tokyo Motor Show, Webasto demonstrated its capability to the extreme with “Welcome,” a concept built from a BMW 5-Series that is three “vehicles” in one.

Normally, Welcome is a station wagon, but the massive glass top slides back, exposing front and rear seats, like a cabriolet. The rear glass panel also slides forward, exposing a large storage area, much like a pickup. An electrically retractable vertical window rises from behind the back seat to close off the passenger compartment. Webasto is shopping the concept to U.S. auto makers.