Must agree with the economist, and have often stated, many companies began producing appliances when they were still a luxury and could be priced accordingly. If you convert the price of a TOL or even MOL Frigidare, Norge or other good washing machine to today's dollars you'd fall off your chair. Laundry appliances have become a mature market, and aside from tweaks around the design edges, no none is doing anything new that would make consumers spend $1,500 for a washing machine when they can get a perfectly good one for under $500.
Miele is a great example of finally bowing to the American consumer market. They've gone from being a niche/high end appliance, to making inroads to the lower upper middle class. Their washers will soon be offered in 120v power as Miele finally realised not every household had 220v power and despite their great ratings not everyone was willing to spend 1500 USD or more, then pay what could be several hundred to thousands more for electrical rewiring.
