Hi Anthony,

Automotive manufacturers have become hopelessly addicted to planned
obsolescence. After 16 years away from the market, there is no way
that you are going to convince VWOA to bring back the Vanagon. Even
allowing that they might make it pass modern crash standards, it
would still be seen as an obvious admission that the Eurovan and
Taureg aren't the products that  the public wants. No-one in their
marketing dept. is going to be willing to commit carreer suicide
pushing that idea, even if they're right.

Your best bet would be to find a competent Chinese factory to restart
work on a clone using the South African Vanagon tooling. Have them
manufacture it as a kit-car, set up to go with a transmission that
will accept an inline-4, and for the sake of economy and licensing
leave off whatever brake and suspension hardware that could be
sourced domestically.

Happy Trails,

Greg Potts
1973/74/77/79 Westfakia "Bob The Tomato
www.pottsfamily.ca
www.busesofthecorn.com

On 7-Apr-07, at 4:44 PM, Anthony Egeln wrote:

> In a post I once suggested we dedicate a website petitioning VW to
> bring back the vanagon....updated of course with an inline gas or
> TDI engine!  The production tooling must exist somewhere between
> South Africa and Germany.
>
> Some folks said that it wouldn't pass US regulations because of the
> cab over wheels design, and others said it would be too expensive.
> But there are new imported trucks out there that are cab over wheel
> and with folks paying GoWesty 30-40M (and more) for a 2wd Westy,
> not to mention your comment about "drain the bank account", there
> might be a market out there.  It doesn't have to cost a million
> clams.  There IS a world-wide market hungry for a good 'ol VW SUV
> (sport utility van).  I'd buy a new syncro pax van or maybe even a
> Westy.
>
> Dreams CAN come true!    Anthony
> '89 Syncro GL (Hidalgo)