In this paper we describe the advantages of a model-based approach to embedded component middleware. Component infrastructures such as Enterprise JavaBeans, Microsoft's COM+ and CORBA Components have become a de-facto standard for enterprise applications. Reasons for this success are the clean separation of technical and functional concerns, COTS containers (applications servers), and the resulting well-defined programming model and standardization. To benefit from these advantages in the domain of embedded systems, the same concepts can be used, but a different implementation strategy is required. First we describe the characteristics of automotive software and explain why the implementation strategies used in enterprise systems can not simply be applied to the automotive domain. Then we present a brief outline of the design and implementation of a model-based embedded component middleware.