Date:         Sat, 16 Mar 1996 19:52:34 -0500 (EST)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         William Alan Killian <killian@qnet.com>
Subject:      Re: appropriateness (was Re: finding bad syncro wheel bearing)

>         Sure, there's lots of VW busses to be had. But not breadloaves. I
> didn't mean to say that VW no longer makes busses, only that the folks in
> charge won't let me bring home one of the styles I happen to like. I guess
> I didn't articulate that very well, sorry. Maybe I'm wrong here, but I do
> believe that the beetle was discontinued because it no longer was able to
> meet emmissions standards, set by the federal government.

The split window bus was replaced by the bay window when VW thought that 
it would improve sales/reduce costs.  The bay window bus was replaced by 
the brick when VW thought it would improve sales/reduce costs.  The brick 
was replaced by the front engined model when VW though it would improve 
sales/reduce costs.  The beetle was replaced by the Golf when VW though 
it would improve sales/reduce costs.

The governement never said "stop making that model".  VW did have to meet 
regulations and replacing models when the costs were too high was part of 
the picture.  The Bay window did not die due to regulations.  The Beetle 
did not die due to regulations.  Plain and simple.  The bay window was 
replaced by what VW thought was an improvement.  Its a matter of personal 
opinion whether they were right or not.  I don't know the sales figures.  
But I doubt the baywindow would have fared better against the mini-vans 
than the vanagon.  Too clunky for the US market at that time.  The beetle 
was replaced by what ended up selling better.  The phenomenal Golf 
basically revolutionaized the small car market.  Everybody imitated it - 
even the Japanese.  How many imitation Beetles survived?  (Okay outside 
of France - R10 and Citreon - who even made one.  The Corvair was more of 
a Karman Ghia/Porsche  competitor, I'd think.)

> >Oh you want a Mexibus.  I doubt it.  The Mexican VWs do not live up to
> >the German VWs.  If the original VW was like the Mexican made ones there
> >would not likely have been a VW Beetle phenomenon.  The desire for the
> >Mexibugs and Mexibuses is an emotional tie to the German ones.
> 
>         Mebbe so. I'd like to learn that one the hard way please, thank you.

I personally am glad the government does prevent shoddy dangerous 
products.  Better to sacrifice a few manneguins than my own precious 
skull.  But the government does not prevent VW from importing Beetles and 
water cooled pseudo-baywindows (it ain't really what you think it is 
anyway), it merely has a minimal (and it is minimal) safety level 
required.  Some of the restrictions aren't good.  The US was behind the 
rest of the world in getting good holgen due to the US holding on to out 
of date restrictions.

> >The government has imposed safety regulations on auto-manufacturers.  But
> >it has specifically ruled any single design as untenable.  You can make a
> >safe beetle.  (VW is trying a variation on that.)  You can make a safe
> >Bus.  VW makes one.  I have one.  It great.
> 
>         Again, I didn't mean to say VW makes no bus, I meant the gov. don't
> let me have bus I want. Me want Mexibus. They no let. Me mad.

VW won;lt let you have Mexibus NOT the government.  VW could make the 
Mexibus importable but it isn't worth the costs.  You have too few people 
on your side (or VW sees it that way anyway).  They imported Vanagons - 
which aren't THAT much different really in base idea.  A Mexibus could be 
made that met restrictions.  VW doesn't think that sales would be worth 
the investment.

>         I hereby apologize to each and every tie wearing person that I
> unwittingly insulted. But I seldom see politicians that *don't* wear ties.
> I'm not talking about the stiffs that do the work, I'm talking about the
> bums that make the laws. *They're* the  ones that say I can't import a
> MexiBus. End of story (and post).

Don't blame politicians for regulations.  Blame politicians for blaming 
other politicians.  And its VW, repeat VW that says you can't have one.  
Porsche imports a (basically) air-cooled rear engine automobile.  VW 
chooses not to update their designs to the acceptable level.

bill and diane killian
zen and the art of ferrets
http://userwww.qnet.com/~killian/zen_home.htm