Really, it's almost embarrassing that VW seems so out of touch with what could work in the US, given VW's background here.
Heck, if VW hadn't achieved Cultural Icon status in the 60's and 70's.........they could be forgiven for being clueless.
I was just thinking about this.......
and wonder how many 'real' car people..........VW-powered dune buggy racer types, say, work in VW of American Headquarters, but more than that...........
are there any actual American car-type people in VW main headquarters in Europe ?   One would think not. 
  And it's not like it's not possible.
Look at Scion, and before that........the Honda Element........those  were targeted at a younger more hip customer, and I believe it's worked quite well, particularly Scion, as a young hip brand. VW could do that if they'd wake up a little.  
Scott
turbovans 
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Neil2 
  To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans 
  Cc: vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com 
  Sent: Tuesday, December 02, 2008 9:43 AM
  Subject: Re: video: Making of a Vanagon

  I'm no authority but I suspect the missing ingredient in VW's strategy (as well as US automakers), aside from union and medical coverage issues, is the volks in charge of the machine haven't integrated all the 'human' factors involved in a purchase such as user experience, generational transitions (GenX, GenY, and so on.  A small business owner does such unconciously in a day to day, year to year manner because s/he just realizes what works and what doesn't.  A big machine cannot do such a thing unless it is well managed and few are.

  Over and over volks here state something along the lines of 'out of touch' and 'don't they listen' and 'don't they realize'.  To me this confirms that those in the VW offices exclude social theory in their business planning: http://www.brynmawr.edu/Acads/GSSW/schram/sw14691102.html

  On Mon, Dec 1, 2008 at 7:43 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:

    re

    doubt that it would require updating. It's still one of the
    strongest "small" 4-wheeled vehicles made. Emissions, sure... it would
    need an entirely new drivetrain... but there are units available that
    would do the job nicely.

    You're not forgetting about air bags, and ABS brakes and such things , right
    ?
    I think all new US vehicles for 2009 must have Stability Control too.
    perhaps loopholes around declaring it a truck..........
    since the only 'people sit right in front' vehicles sold in north America
    are trucks.  ( I'm thinking those Isuzu cab-over diesel delivery trucks and
    similar cab-over trucks  )
    In all cars , mini-vans, and people haulers, the occupants are mid-mounted
    these days.
    But ...........what I'd LOVE to see is a modern interpretation of the
    Vanagon .....
    or close too it.
    Good ground clearance is one of the 'signature' and key elements of the
    design too.
    It's a 'sporty not-quite-truck' ............a brilliant concept and design.
    Part truck, part sports car that you can sleep in, what's not to like !!
    Guess somebody'll have to get those Caroteans or whatever they are,
    raise them up, stiffen up the suspicion a little, and make a poptop roof.

    I sure would love to see 30,000 die hard old core VW vans wrote  VW of
    American and tell them we don't want no stinking Chrysler minivans with a vw
    badge on it !!
    To think.........
    VW was the top imported car once in the US, and more than that, they
    obtained what any car company would give anything to have.............they
    were a Cultural Icon of the times, and they barely, barely hang onto a tiny
    piece of that with cars like the New Beetle.
    And VW is about the biggest car company in the world too.
    The US is a rather small portion of their overall pie.
    I suspect they intentionally only give 'partial effort' to the US market.
    And oddly............it's still NOT TOO LATE .
    I've never heard of this marketing strategy.......but they could offer 5 %
    off to anyone that has owned a VW before.
    and 10 % off for anyone who's owned half a dozen of them before.
    How can they be so out of touch with their real market ?

    sorry to go on. One thing that works well, and many companies go back to
    after trying other stuff...........is their CORE PRODUCT and market.
    For VW , that was always fun, inexpensive pretty well made cars.
    That's what they should stick with.  That's what they do well.
    Bit on the small side, modest somewhat, funky and fun...........that is what
    VW does well.  They got way off track with things like the Phaeton
    multi-bucks luxury boat, that fizzled and cost them millions, here and in
    Europe..........and I sure don't see Touregs everywhere.........another 'not
    really a core VW product' vehicle that I almost never see around on the
    streets. Consumer Reports was not too kind to the Tourareg ( spelled it
    right that time ) in their report on reliability and cost to own one either.
    ( I believe Porsche has been plenty successful with their SUV the
    Cayenne..........
    perfect example of how Porsche owners are used to 80 and 90,000 dollar
    cars................and VW owners expect 25 to 35,000 cars, and are not
    likely to buy a 60K SUV in the first place.  None of this is that hard to
    figure out either I don't think !! )

    Fun, sporty, well made............half modest cars.......and with
    Spunk..........that's why the New Beetle is a great product for VW , it's
    got that VW 'thing' ........a certain funky cache.  ........that's what VW
    does best and it's still not too late for VW in the US and Canada.
    And they had the BEST ad campaigns too !   VW, what happened ????
    Your loyal followers are crying out.
    I guess I'll write them myself. Can't hurt.
    We assume our beseachments will fall on deaf ears though, sadly -  I think
    is fair to say.
    Guess we'll just keeping making our vanagons into the great, and better,
    vehicles we wish we could still get.

    ----- Original Message -----
    From: "Andrew Grebneff" <goose1047@GMAIL.COM>
    To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>

    Sent: Monday, December 01, 2008 6:56 PM
    Subject: Re: video: Making of a Vanagon

          It's be nice if some outfit bought the rights and tooling to put the
          South African vans back into production...

        VW probably wouldn't allow it because they would not want the
        embarrasment of a 25 year old design outselling their new Caroutan-van
        or whatever it is...

      That WOULD be embarrassing, wouldn't it?

        More seriously, it'd need some serious reworking to meet current crash
        and emissions requirements.

      I doubt that it would require updating. It's still one of the
      strongest "small" 4-wheeled vehicles made. Emissions, sure... it would
      need an entirely new drivetrain... but there are units available that
      would do the job nicely.
      --
      Andrew Grebneff
      Dunedin, New Zealand
      Fossil preparator
      Mollusc, Toyota & VW van nut
      Temporarily in Calgary, AB, Canada
      <goose1047@gmail.com>

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  -- 
  Neil2
  '82 Diesel Westfalia (USS Tinosa)
  '86 Vanagon/Westfalia Wannabe (SaVannah)
  Nunquam Pendite Divendium

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