Thanks again Derek!

On Sun, Aug 26, 2012 at 12:26 PM, Derek Drew <derekdrew@derekmail.com>wrote:

> For today's treat, I have for you a message sent out from the
> executive at Volkswagen who was overseeing Vanagon/Camper/Syncro in
> 1991 of the coming catastrophe in the world of VW vans.
>
> I guess I had already got my name on VW's list of van freaks that I
> got this odd letter.
>
> It is a funny letter because he *knows* that some of us would feel
> ill when seeing VW had prepared to replace the Vanagon -- he politely
> and ominously warns that we will be "completely unprepared" for what
> the Eurovan is, and provides a not-too-subtle suggestion that maybe
> you should PANIC and go snap up one of the last of the brand new
> Vanagons, Campers, or Syncros left in North America. (At the time, I
> panicked.)
>
> Then he goes on to provide a US MAP of where all the last inventory
> is so you can get one before they are all gone forever, adding with a
> wink, "I want to make certain that those of you who want to buy the
> last of an era get some 'inside' help", which he then provides via the map.
>
> The map is interesting because it shows that as of June 1991 the
> inventory of Syncros in the Southeast at that time was ZERO, whereas
> 85% of all the remaining syncros (~175?) were either in the pacific
> northwest, or the mountain states.
>
> There were ~700 Campers (non-syncro) left in the country to buy as of
> June 1991, but only another ~100 or so Syncro Campers, about a 7 to 1
> ratio.
>
> Maybe somebody else can get these numbers into Excel and get some fun
> analysis out of them, tintop ratios and such.
>
> This is as close a letter as I can think of to VW hinting that
> something bad was about to happen (for people of a certain mindset).
>
> Here is the map:
>
> <https://docs.google.com/a/**derekmail.com/file/d/**
> 0B8sxgRMrur9XUGNDa0FSUkJoMUk/**edit<https://docs.google.com/a/derekmail.com/file/d/0B8sxgRMrur9XUGNDa0FSUkJoMUk/edit>
> >https://docs.google.com/**a/derekmail.com/file/d/**
> 0B8sxgRMrur9XUGNDa0FSUkJoMUk/**edit<https://docs.google.com/a/derekmail.com/file/d/0B8sxgRMrur9XUGNDa0FSUkJoMUk/edit>
>
>
> Here is the complete letter:
>
> <https://docs.google.com/a/**derekmail.com/file/d/**
> 0B8sxgRMrur9XTy1NMzR3U2xGWnM/**edit<https://docs.google.com/a/derekmail.com/file/d/0B8sxgRMrur9XTy1NMzR3U2xGWnM/edit>
> >https://docs.google.com/**a/derekmail.com/file/d/**
> 0B8sxgRMrur9XTy1NMzR3U2xGWnM/**edit<https://docs.google.com/a/derekmail.com/file/d/0B8sxgRMrur9XTy1NMzR3U2xGWnM/edit>
>
>
> Go ahead and expand them to see them zoomed in for better reading.
>
> ==============================**=========
> In case of trouble with the above two links, try these:
>
>  https://docs.google.com/open?**id=**0B8sxgRMrur9XUGNDa0FSUkJoMUk<https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B8sxgRMrur9XUGNDa0FSUkJoMUk>
>
>  https://docs.google.com/open?**id=**0B8sxgRMrur9XTy1NMzR3U2xGWnM<https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B8sxgRMrur9XTy1NMzR3U2xGWnM>
>
> Go ahead and expand them to see them zoomed in for better reading.
>
>
>
> ______________________________**_________________
> Derek Drew
> Washington DC / New York
> derekdrew@derekmail.com
> Email is best normally but...
> PHONE: 202-966-7907 (Call the number at left normally)
> (alt/cell for diligent calling only): 703-408-1532
>