Date:         Fri, 26 May 2006 18:04:25 -0700
Reply-To:     Anthony Egeln <regnsuzanne@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Anthony Egeln <regnsuzanne@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      FRYDAY: RE-OPEN VANAGON ASSEMBLY
Comments: To: syncrolist@yahoogroups.com
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

  Since it’s Fryday I thought I’d open a thread I’ve wanted to open for a long time.  What does everyone think about VW re-opening the vanagon assembly line?  Is there any impediment to building new vanagons?  It shouldn’t be a chore for VW to open an assembly line somewhere in the world.  The only major weakness in the original was the power plant and I’m certain that VW could quickly engineer in a new TDI diesel or inline gas engine.  All the rest could be the same…well maybe new lighting.  We should all agree that the reason that we persevere with our 15-27 year old vans is because they are so much fun and terribly useful.   VW should take notice of the resale value of the vanagon.  When 20 year old vans sell for $10-30K, it seems to me that there is a market out there. What would you pay for a new vanagon, complete with the configuration you want?
   I think a good allegory to this might be found in the Lockheed C-130 aircraft.  It was first designed and flown in the 1950’s, and today, 50 years later, new C-130s continue to roll off the assembly line.  They have new engines and electronics but it is the same airframe.  If it works…why change it?
     I guess the bottom line is this.  If you went out today to buy a new vehicle, one that could do everything your vanagon or syncro or Westy can do…what would you buy?  I can’t think of one.  Only the Sprinter is even close in utility but there’s no 4WD, or Westy.  I called my local Mercedes dealer and asked the salesman about future availability of the Sprinter James Cook camper here and he said that there was no market for it here.  The low end van type RV market is owned by GM and the high end folks buy a full RV.  I don’t see why a new vanagon couldn’t take sufficient market share from GM to make it profitable.  The Eurovan (T4) didn’t make it here, but to paraphrase the recently departed Lloyd Bentsen, “I’ve looked at the Eurovan, sir, and it’s no vanagon!”.
Should we petition VW to open the line?

Cheers, Anthony
'89 Syncro GL (Hidalgo)



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