Date:         Wed, 19 Jun 2002 15:21:37 -0700
Reply-To:     Ari Ollikainen <Ari@OLTECO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Ari Ollikainen <Ari@OLTECO.COM>
Subject:      [NVC] Re: New Microbus coming 2005.......I'll still keep my 240
              hp SVX Vanagon......but these will be tempting
In-Reply-To:  <23F66E6D73F4D31181C60004ACA369D7023A5291@ERD-LA-EXMB1>
Content-type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=us-ascii

At 4:51 PM -0500 6/19/02, Smola, Tony wrote:
>Here's the link to the LA Times article revealing the plans..........bon
>appetite.....acete.....
>
>Malibu Tony  85' Westy SVX
>
>
>http://www.latimes.com/classified/autos/highway1/showroom/la-000042834jun19.
>story?coll=la%2Dclass%2Dhighway1%2Dshowroom

        Hmmm... John O'dell, the author of the LATimes story is a bit
        confused, quoting  Pischetsrieder as saying, "... the old Microbus,
        discontinued in 1992, was--and continues to be--a cult object
        in this country..." Or the CEO of VW is confused about the monikers
        of his van models...

        Somehow, the idea that VW is going to flood the market with 120K
        butt-ugly vehicles beginning in 2004 seems, to me, a bit more than
        over-the-top stupid. Aside from the cult mythology of the original
        microbus, WHY do they think there'll be a market for the
        faux-Microbus here?

        Since the LATimes site requires registration, here's the story:

But Will It Come in Day-Glo? VW Microbus
Returns for 2005
By John O'Dell

Volkswagen has confirmed what long has been expected: It will
build a Microbus based on the concept shown 18 months ago at
the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

The new Microbus will be built in Germany, but about
two-thirds of the annual production will be sent to the U.S.

Bernd Pischetsrieder, VW's chief executive, said the company
will concentrate on U.S. sales because the old Microbus,
discontinued in 1992, was--and continues to be--a cult object in
this country. Of particular note, VW plans to build more the
first year than in subsequent years--a reversal of the distressing
trend in which first-year production of a potentially popular
vehicle is kept so low that huge waiting lists develop and
dealers, as well as private speculators, are able to demand
thousands of dollars above the sticker price.

VW said first-year production of the Microbus, to be launched
in 2005, will be about 120,000 units, with annual production
dropping to about 80,000 units after that.

The auto maker launched the Microbus in 1950. Sales peaked at
67,000 units in 1970.

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        OLTECO                    Ari Ollikainen, Consultant
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