Date: Thu, 19 Aug 1999 22:48:54 PDT
Reply-To: Tony Peet <tpvw@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Tony Peet <tpvw@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: New Company: Westfalia USA (kinda)
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed
Volks:
I was poking around the Vanagon website the other day and came upon the
supplier for water tank keys (Euro-American RV Products aka Delta Six
Enterprises). I decided to order some, and called the phone number listed,
and a voice answered "Westfalia USA!."
No kidding.
So we got to talking, and it turns out this man is one of the people "who
was on the design team for the Westfalia" (the work for which was mostly
done in Southern California (!) he said). His name was something like Peter
Catlatt -- and I imagine that some of you on the list already know him.
Apparently he has a long association with Westfalia.
Now here's the news: two months ago they established Westfalia USA. Why?
Well, according to Peter, one of Westfalia's biggest businesses is
making.....tow hitches!** Apparently they had an early patent on a ball
hitch design and made lots of them and lots of money. So guess who and what
they have just gotten the contract to make integrated/"disappearing" tow
hitches for?
(Pause for effect and also, prepare yourself, you MAY not like some aspect
of this:)
Here it comes.....
The new BMW SUV (inevitable, but jeez) which will be coming out at the end
of the year and will be made in, I think, Spartenburg SC. (Peter himself is
in Tennessee I think.) Apparently the 'ball and cone' tow hitch for the BMW
is built in UNDER and BEHIND the back bumper (ie not visible), so the toe
arm goes under the bumper and somehow locks "upward". The hitch is somehow
anchored into the structure of the car. I hope you get a partial picture,
'cause that's the best I can do today. Peter was very excited about this in
that it is very innovative and basically allows for an integrated towing
system with "no impact on exterior vehicle design."
Anyway, that's what he said and I wanted to share it with the list as soon
as possible: the real Westfalia apparently now has an official presence in
the USA!
Please don't email me with questions, as you know all I that I do now.
Tony
** According to Peter, Westfalia's 'mobile division' is still very much in
the business of making specialty vehicles -- or vehicles with "specialized
applications." They do a lot for the military.
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