Date: Fri, 16 Apr 2010 08:05:30 +0100
Reply-To: Arkady Mirvis <arkadymirvis@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Arkady Mirvis <arkadymirvis@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Arrogance
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Using credit earned by previous generations, German auto firms like to use the term " GERMAN ENGINEERING ".
VW became prominent thanks to Ferdinand Porsche and geniuses around him. They were the ones not only designers of Beetle, but great managers. Borrowing from USA mass production technology, adding to that german craftsmanship and industrial engineering, in a very short time germans were able to build a huge factory. As long as the spirit was alive, VW filled the roads with millions of cars. Already during Nordhoff era VW became to be above all concerned with bottom line. The whole world was moving to front wheel drive, VW was stubbornly pushing rear engined vehicles. And not only that! Up until 1984 aircooled engines.
Instead of doing engineering, VW was suing left and right anyone using VW logos. I will not deny that VW had great advertising. How many know that it was american made advertising? VW name is a joke, a mockery today. Is the VW built vehicle made for a commoner? The idea was to give every family a cheap car costing same as a motorcycle, around 900 DM. And what it is now? Please sit down. Here are the prices In Portugal:
Golf - 42-45000, Jetta up to 58,000 dollars. Tuareg is in stratosphere! Portuguese is happy to earn (dollars per hour): construction 4 - 7, sales person in the store - 4, teacher earns 600 per month.....The retiree must survive on not even $300 per month. Remember Portugal is an european country.
Our Vanagon list is filled with messages describing problems. It looks that there is no system without serious problems. And try to maintain Westy. Cost of spares is outrageous!
You think BMW, Mercedes is better? Both use the reputation earned by great engineers of the thirties. Look around in USA. Do you see many BMW and MB's older than 10 years? Longevity was not built in these cars!
And who is old enough must remember the scandal with run-away AUDI's. Instead, as Toyota is doing now, at least doing good publicity, AUDI arrogantly denied everything. And what? Its sales in USA did drop almost to zero.
I recall VW answers to my letter to the company. The letter was written one year after purchasing my 87 Westy. I, an mechanical engineer then since 1960, listed 20 facts of bad design and craftsmanship. And what was the answer. "We built millions of vehicles and everyone is happy".
One needed to look at Consumer Report and see that VW was at the bottom of the list! VW apparently was blind! Isn't it an archarrogance?
Original Continental tires on my Westy had massive cracks in 5 years! I still have new spare tires for the 1972 Beetle. They look new and with no cracks. When I complained to Continental, they didn't bother to answer.
How about belts made by Continental? Junk compared to ones made by american Gates.
What shall be the answer? I never came to my managers with the problem. I was coming with a solution in my hands.
Complain, complain...................To US Transportation and Safety Board and put the German's rears on fire.
I wish after Toyota they will be the next.
Ark.
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