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Date:         Tue, 13 May 1997 11:31:57 EDT
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         busboys1@juno.com (Bus Boys)
Subject:      RE: Steyr-Puch Spare Parts

Tom Niksch writes:

>>The problem is not that SDP don't want to sell parts they are simply not >>allowed because of their contracts to VW

------------------------

I concur with Tom. These are called "captive market" parts, usually available from Volkswagen only. Due to contractual restrictions with OE manufacturers, in many cases Volkswagen owns the tooling and distribution rights to a great many parts - some for as long as 30 years after introduction. We run into this all of the time when sourcing parts from "der fatherland".

A good example are those Westy parts from American manufacturers and distributors. Had a customer walk into my business in Van Nuys (So Cal) in '84 looking for a 110V connector for his year-old Westy. I found out about Delta Six then (they were in Chatsworth), contacted them instead of the local dealer to obtain the part. Contractual distribution restrictions at the time only allowed sales to Volkswagen, Westfalia and VOA's distribution network. Customer had to go to the dealer.

Unlike American car mfrs, which allow the proliferation of aftermarket sales of their parts at reasonable, decent prices at good availability, their European counterparts operate in an opposite way, highly centralizing the parts supply for their vehicles. It's been an accepted practice in Germany for a very long, long time.

A related reason as to why most German OE rubber is so high in price is that VW owns the tooling outright and indirectly sets a restriction to the manufacturer as to the price if they wish to sell to the aftermarket/export. Found this out in late '92 when faxing direct to the manufacturers for a routine "latest" FOB price of my next weatherstrip order. VW had clamped down on these OE's so much that some items increased by as much as 250%! Before '93, I used to sell Sliding Door Seals (68-79) for $27.95 - nowadays a German slider seal commands over $100 in most cases.

SWF used to distribute 62-71 Bus Bulbholders, pre-68 wiper arms and motors and such until this clamp-down happened from VW. They decided to obsolete the items rather than fight VW over pricing because VW owned the tooling and the rights. Hella is doing the same thing right now vis-a-vis OE lighting parts.

Jim BusBoys1@juno.com http://www.bus-boys.com


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