Date: Wed, 10 Jan 2001 10:54:26 -0800
Reply-To: Zach Kaplan <zakaplan@EARTHLINK.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Zach Kaplan <zakaplan@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject: Re: Mexico/Vanagon report-Guadalajara/Puerto Vallarta
In-Reply-To: <3A5BA8F3.E5D19C7B@bigpond.com>
Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Simon,
Thank you for the informative reply. I thought the Santana name had also
been used on the 4-door sedan version of the second generation Passat in
Europe, at least in the UK.
I wonder if the joint venture between Ford and VW Brazil had any relation to
the joint venture with Ford and VW in Europe doing the Ford Galaxy (sp?) and
VW Sharon.
Since you seem to know a lot about all the worldwide models of VWs can you
explain the VW pickups I saw in Germany in 1999 which looked just like
Toyota pickups with VW badges?
I understand you wrote a book. What is the title and where can one obtain
it?
Zach Kaplan
on 2001/1/09 16:12, Simon Glen at simonglen@bigpond.com wrote:
> Dear Zach,
>
> Yes, you are correct. The VW Fox which was sold in USA from 1987 to 1994 as a
> 2-door and 4-door sedan and a 2-door wagon was fully imported from Brazil. It
> was merely a re-badged first generation Brazilian VW Voyage (sedan) and VW
> Parati (wagon). This same model was also marketed in Argentina as the VW
> Gacel
> and the VW Senda and in other parts of latin America and the West Indies as
> the
> VW Amazon.
>
> (VW have a bad habit using different model names in different markets and even
> giving different models the same name in different markets. Thus, the name
> "Fox" has been used for the Audi 80 in USA and Australia as well as for the VW
> Voyage/Parati in USA. Likewise, the second generation Passat was sold as the
> VW "Quantum" in USA, the VW "Santana" in Japan, China and Brazil, the VW
> "Carat" in Argentina and as the VW "Cosar" in Mexico but merely as the VW
> "Passat" in much of the rest of the world.)
>
> In September 1994 a second generation of the Brazilian Gol/Parati/Saviero cars
> was introduced. This was a completely re-designed range, not just a
> face-lifted version. This second generation has not been sold in the USA and
> is now sold in Mexico as the VW "Pointer".
>
> However, if you go to Brazil and see a car with VW "Pointer" labels on it,
> this
> car has nothing to do with the Gol/Parati/Saviero range. The Brazilian VW
> Pointer is no longer in production. It was the product of an ill-conceived
> union in 1987 between Ford and VW in Brazil to form a company called
> Autolatina
> Brasil SA. There was a divorce at the end of 1995 and Ford and VW went their
> separate ways. The Brazilian VW Pointer was a progeny of this marriage and
> was, in fact, a Ford Escort made in VW factory with a VW engine and VW badges.
> At the time and as an additional product of this bad marriage, the Brazilian
> VW
> Santana (Passat II in Europe and Quantum in USA) was also marketed in Brazil
> as
> the Ford Versailles !!!!!
>
> So, you can see how confusing Volkswagen's model naming can be.
>
> Regards and happy VW motoring,
>
> Simon Glen, Toowoomba, Australia
> 1992 VW T3 Transporter Syncro van
> 1969 VW 411
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