Date: Tue, 2 Dec 2008 09:43:54 -0800
Reply-To: Neil2 <vidublu@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Neil2 <vidublu@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: video: Making of a Vanagon
In-Reply-To: <03ad01c95430$256f8a00$6701a8c0@PROSPERITY>
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I'm no authority but I suspect the missing ingredient in VW's strategy (as
well as US automakers), aside from union and medical coverage issues, is the
volks in charge of the machine haven't integrated all the 'human' factors
involved in a purchase such as user experience, generational transitions
(GenX, GenY, and so on. A small business owner does such unconciously in a
day to day, year to year manner because s/he just realizes what works and
what doesn't. A big machine *cannot* do such a thing unless it is
*well*managed and few are.
Over and over volks here state something along the lines of 'out of touch'
and 'don't they listen' and 'don't they realize'. To me this confirms that
those in the VW offices exclude social theory in their business planning:
http://www.brynmawr.edu/Acads/GSSW/schram/sw14691102.html
On Mon, Dec 1, 2008 at 7:43 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans <
scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:
> re
> doubt that it would require updating. It's still one of the
> strongest "small" 4-wheeled vehicles made. Emissions, sure... it would
> need an entirely new drivetrain... but there are units available that
> would do the job nicely.
>
> You're not forgetting about air bags, and ABS brakes and such things ,
> right
> ?
> I think all new US vehicles for 2009 must have Stability Control too.
> perhaps loopholes around declaring it a truck..........
> since the only 'people sit right in front' vehicles sold in north America
> are trucks. ( I'm thinking those Isuzu cab-over diesel delivery trucks and
> similar cab-over trucks )
> In all cars , mini-vans, and people haulers, the occupants are mid-mounted
> these days.
> But ...........what I'd LOVE to see is a modern interpretation of the
> Vanagon .....
> or close too it.
> Good ground clearance is one of the 'signature' and key elements of the
> design too.
> It's a 'sporty not-quite-truck' ............a brilliant concept and design.
> Part truck, part sports car that you can sleep in, what's not to like !!
> Guess somebody'll have to get those Caroteans or whatever they are,
> raise them up, stiffen up the suspicion a little, and make a poptop roof.
>
> I sure would love to see 30,000 die hard old core VW vans wrote VW of
> American and tell them we don't want no stinking Chrysler minivans with a
> vw
> badge on it !!
> To think.........
> VW was the top imported car once in the US, and more than that, they
> obtained what any car company would give anything to have.............they
> were a Cultural Icon of the times, and they barely, barely hang onto a tiny
> piece of that with cars like the New Beetle.
> And VW is about the biggest car company in the world too.
> The US is a rather small portion of their overall pie.
> I suspect they intentionally only give 'partial effort' to the US market.
> And oddly............it's still NOT TOO LATE .
> I've never heard of this marketing strategy.......but they could offer 5 %
> off to anyone that has owned a VW before.
> and 10 % off for anyone who's owned half a dozen of them before.
> How can they be so out of touch with their real market ?
>
> sorry to go on. One thing that works well, and many companies go back to
> after trying other stuff...........is their CORE PRODUCT and market.
> For VW , that was always fun, inexpensive pretty well made cars.
> That's what they should stick with. That's what they do well.
> Bit on the small side, modest somewhat, funky and fun...........that is
> what
> VW does well. They got way off track with things like the Phaeton
> multi-bucks luxury boat, that fizzled and cost them millions, here and in
> Europe..........and I sure don't see Touregs everywhere.........another
> 'not
> really a core VW product' vehicle that I almost never see around on the
> streets. Consumer Reports was not too kind to the Tourareg ( spelled it
> right that time ) in their report on reliability and cost to own one
> either.
> ( I believe Porsche has been plenty successful with their SUV the
> Cayenne..........
> perfect example of how Porsche owners are used to 80 and 90,000 dollar
> cars................and VW owners expect 25 to 35,000 cars, and are not
> likely to buy a 60K SUV in the first place. None of this is that hard to
> figure out either I don't think !! )
>
> Fun, sporty, well made............half modest cars.......and with
> Spunk..........that's why the New Beetle is a great product for VW , it's
> got that VW 'thing' ........a certain funky cache. ........that's what VW
> does best and it's still not too late for VW in the US and Canada.
> And they had the BEST ad campaigns too ! VW, what happened ????
> Your loyal followers are crying out.
> I guess I'll write them myself. Can't hurt.
> We assume our beseachments will fall on deaf ears though, sadly - I think
> is fair to say.
> Guess we'll just keeping making our vanagons into the great, and better,
> vehicles we wish we could still get.
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Andrew Grebneff" <goose1047@GMAIL.COM>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Monday, December 01, 2008 6:56 PM
> Subject: Re: video: Making of a Vanagon
>
>
> It's be nice if some outfit bought the rights and tooling to put the
>>>> South African vans back into production...
>>>>
>>>
>>> VW probably wouldn't allow it because they would not want the
>>> embarrasment of a 25 year old design outselling their new Caroutan-van
>>> or whatever it is...
>>>
>>
>> That WOULD be embarrassing, wouldn't it?
>>
>> More seriously, it'd need some serious reworking to meet current crash
>>> and emissions requirements.
>>>
>>
>> I doubt that it would require updating. It's still one of the
>> strongest "small" 4-wheeled vehicles made. Emissions, sure... it would
>> need an entirely new drivetrain... but there are units available that
>> would do the job nicely.
>> --
>> Andrew Grebneff
>> Dunedin, New Zealand
>> Fossil preparator
>> Mollusc, Toyota & VW van nut
>> Temporarily in Calgary, AB, Canada
>> <goose1047@gmail.com>
>>
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--
Neil2
'82 Diesel Westfalia (USS Tinosa)
'86 Vanagon/Westfalia Wannabe (SaVannah)
Nunquam Pendite Divendium
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