Date: Thu, 20 Jun 2002 06:38:23 -0400
Reply-To: Vanagon man <vgonman@MSN.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Vanagon man <vgonman@MSN.COM>
Subject: Re: [NVC] Re: New Microbus coming 2005.......I'll still keep my
240 hp SVX Vanagon......but these will be tempting
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
I KNOW I am not in the market for them..I think the prototypes are butt
ugly, and with the price tag they will have, I could buy 3 fully restored
bussed of any vintage..........
Adam P
81 Westy "The Brick "
70 Single Cab "Whitey"
74 Beetle "Ol Yeller"
73 Transporter (STILL at paint shop)
1988 Vanagon Wolfsburg
75 Campmobile "for sale'
Used Vanagon Parts for sale (mostly aircooled)
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ari Ollikainen" <Ari@OLTECO.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, June 19, 2002 6:21 PM
Subject: [NVC] Re: New Microbus coming 2005.......I'll still keep my 240 hp
SVX Vanagon......but these will be tempting
> 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.
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> Dog is my copilot
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> OLTECO Ari Ollikainen, Consultant
> P.O. BOX 20088 Networking Architecture & Technology
> Stanford, CA Ari@OLTECO.com
> 94309-0088 415.517.3519
>
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