Date:         Wed, 15 Nov 2000 11:05:51 +1100
Reply-To:     David Del Ben <ddelben@AIRINTER.COM.AU>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Del Ben <ddelben@AIRINTER.COM.AU>
Organization: Air International Transit
Subject:      Transmission Options
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

A question for our American cousins here:  What is the predominate manual
Gearbox for American Vanagons?

From observing the list over the last couple of months, I suspect it is th
4-speed. In Australia, nothing but the 5-Speed gerarbox was available after
the switch from O2 to H20 cooling in 1983.

I was reading an old American Road Test on the vanagon last night [dated
bout's 1983] and VW of America is quoted as saying:
'Due to the power and toque reserves of the new engine, the option of the
5-speed gearbox was deemed not necessary for the American market.

Not exact wording - but that was the jist from memory.
Really - nothing but a piece of marketing rubbish!! There was obviously
SOME reason why VW of America didn't/couldn't import the 5-speeder -
initially at least.


David Del Ben
85 1.9-Carravelle