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