Vancouver BC I was having a coffee minding my own business when I heard the sounds of the German language next to me. I asked where they might be from in Germany and the wife responded Hanover. There are on holiday as he is presently stationed in the US. They are renting a motorhome and traveling down the coast. I explained that I had just returned from the coast in my trusty 1985 Vanagon Westfalia. That brought a smile to their faces as he is gainfully employed by VW in a capacity that he did not fully share but it would certainly be a significant position. I indicated that the VW community was watching with interest when the VW concept vehicle was announced in 2002. I indicated that many of us were unimpressed by the look and appearance of it though we would most certainly like to see a new bus. He said he was on the committee and that it "had to be designed that way". His wife disagreed. She said the concept model had no link or real feel and connection to the memory of prior models. It lacked a link to the spirit of the prior VW's buses. Furthermore she felt that a successful bus would be one that had a link to the past and that also was "hip" to a whole new group of customers. I shared with how much we all love our old buses. When I shared with him that I was at Buses by the Bridge this year and there were 400 buses he looked unimpressed. I felt he was looking at my age, 68, and thinking so what a group of old eccentrics get together in the desert what has that got to do with the price of eggs? Bottom line he said VW did not have the kind of money needed to invest in this very expensive project at that particular time. Then he asked me the kicker: "What would I pay for a new bus"? Of course, I guess that is what it all comes down to is that they don't think there is a market at what they would have to price the thing at. I asked if he thought the idea of a new bus was dead and he replied. "No the idea of a new bus is not dead but by the time we build it you may be!" Ok I made the last part up but there may be hope. We shall see. Bernie Vancouver |
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