Date: Sat, 12 May 2001 11:27:10 +1200
Reply-To: Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz>
Subject: Re: is your Vanagon your main/only vehicle?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>My ignorance is showing, but where does VW RSA exist, do they sell to
>the US? I am not certain I know what a Caravelle is. Its a european
>version of the vanagon, right? Which model does it closely resemble?
>
>I could never afford one even if I could get one, but the idea of having
>a new vanagon helps me make it through a tough day. It would be beyond
>great to have a new one.
>Just dreaming like a lot of you.
The American market gets different names for many vehicles. Eg Honda
Legends and NSXs are called "Acura" there, some Nissans "Infiniti"; early
Passats as Dashers, Golfs as Rabbits, Santanas as Quantums, Corollas sold
as Chevy Nova or Geo Storm, Suzuki Cultus as Pontiac Firefly (not
necessarily the current models mentioned here). Vehicles sold elsewhere are
not "European" market unless being sold in Europe. The upmarket T3s were
sold as Caravelles for basically the world market... excepting NA.
The Type 2 has always been the Transporter, though the current German
offering hardly fits the bill and same with the new show vehicle. The T3
generation (T3 implying not Type 3, but Type 2 Series 3, as opposed t o the
T1 Split and T2 Bay) is what Americans call a Vanagon, though I belive a
very few Vanagon badges did sneak onto vehicles in other markets eg
Australia. As an aside, Americans call the front-engined T4 heaps Eurovans
and Japanese apparently call them Vanagons! Ah, badge-engineering.
Caravelle is the upmarket MPV version of the Transporter. As far as I know
all T3s were sold as Vanagons in the NA market. I believe a Vanagon GL is a
direct equivalent of a Caravelle GL. Kombis are bare-bones basic, with
vinyl-covered bench seats in the back.
Confused?
VWRSA has a website <www.vw.co.za>. The photos aren't really big enough.
The lower-end T3 in RSA is called Microbus, the top-end is Caravelle.
As to importing RSA T3s into the USA, this was a tread on the list some
time ago. I think the concensus was that it's not worth it. List?
Andrew Grebneff
165 Evans St, Dunedin, New Zealand
fax 64 (3) 479-7527
<andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz>
www.goingplatinum.com/member/vw1
www.my-successcenter.com/member/vw1
www.aciimoney.com/index.shtml?vw1
VW & Toyota vans, Toyota diesels and Macintoshes rule
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