Date:         Tue, 17 Jan 1995 14:50:22 -0500 (EST)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Jonathan Dove - VAX Master <JDOVE@gsvms2.cc.gasou.edu>
Subject:      Re: vw dealers refuse to work anyting over 10 years ..

>From: Dave Black <dblack@argus.lowell.edu>

>On Mon, 16 Jan 1995, Joel Walker wrote:
>
>> 
>> well ... it COULD happen!!! look at all the other marques that have
>> disappeared from our shores because of lousy dealers and poor parts service
>> (which brough on poor sales):
>> MG, Triumph, Peugeot, Renault, Citroen, Opel (another GM fiasco), Fiat,
> Yugo (well ... ) ... any others?
>
>Borgword?  Studebaker?


Another possibility why dealers won't work on cars over 10 years old is
parts availability.  I think that federal law(s) require new import dealers
to carry new parts for discontinued models for ten years.  After that the
dealer is no longer required to maintain his parts inventory.  A few years
ago I remember that late 70's bug owners were upset because VW was getting
around to cleaning up their inventory of air-cooled parts.

An interesting side note, there is a Dodge/Jaguar dealer in town that used
to sell MGs and Triumphs.  They still have a British Leyland underneath the
Jaguar sign out in front of the dealer.  I guess they have not gotten around
to taking it down yet.

Jonathan
jdove@gsvms2.cc.gasou.edu