Date:         Thu, 12 Dec 1996 12:32:59 -0500
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         SyncroHead@aol.com
Subject:      Re: How common is the factory sunroof?

In a message dated 96-12-11 19:43:04 EST, 102660.66@compuserve.com
(Turner,Ronald L.) writes:

> Really, '85 was the last year for the sliding steel sunroof in the US, but
I
>  have seen a '86 syncro with one. It was probably one of the last few. And
of
>  course, it did not have A/C. 
 <snip>
>  sunroof. There was no way to have sunroof, AND a a/c with that big long
duct
>  running front to back. 
<snip>
>  So, then in '86 VWOA was faced with a "dilemma".  It was either the
sunroof, 
> or the A/c. You couldn't have both.  VWOA decided for us that most of us
would
>  prefer an a/c over a suroof    ( gee -thanks, VWOA  :<(   and so then the
a/c
>  became pretty much standard on all US import vanagons '86-'91, and the 
> beloved sunroof was dropped from the US market in about late '86. 

Actually for 86 and 87 the customers (in the USA) were faced with the delema.
 They could either choose A/C or the sunroof.  Both were options in 86 & 87
and each excluded the other.  It seems that very few customers were willing
to sacrifice A/C for a sunroof.  I saw a new 87 Vanagon with a sunroof in a
dealer showroom, here in Southern California in late summer 1988. 

In 1988 VW discontinued the sunroof option in the USA - I think for lack of
demand, and A/C was optional on all models.

In 1989 A/C was again optional on all models.

In 1990 & 1991 A/C was optional on the base Vanagon models and standard on
the GLs, Carat, & Multivan.

Regards,
Jim Davis
87 GL Syncro
88 GL Wolfsburg