On Thu, 25 Aug 94 13:03:24 CDT Gerald Skerbitz said:
>Sorry, It was Carat.  I knew I should have asked yesterday before I forgot.
>Anyway, I thought that GL meant higher prices and trim levels.  Is this
>better, bigger smaller or just newer?

the way i understand (understood?) it, you have the following:
Vanagon - plain jane (Kombi?) with rubber mats and vinyl seats and windows
          and one-color paint job (no metallic colors)
Vanagon L - still rubber mats and vinyl seats, but metallic paint colors and
          stuff like heater fans and rear butt-wipers as options. black
          bumpers.
Vanagon GL - carpet and cloth seats, and more options like rear seat heaters
          on the water-cools. this was the highest level during the air-cool
          years. oh, yeah: chrome bumpers up through 87.
so then, in order o further increase profits, :)  these were introduced:
Vanagon Wolfsburg Edition - special editions with plastic bumpers (that became
          standard to the GL in 88), armrests on the seats (that also became
          standard to the GL in 88), and other little trim touches (that also
          became standard to the GL in 88). a pre-88 GL, i guess.
Vanagon Carat - introduced in 89 (first i ever heard of it), it had all the
          GL stuff plus alloy wheels, cruise, power doors, backward seats, and
          that little pop-up table in the middle (that hung on the wall).
Vanagon Multivan - also in 89 (i think), it had all the camper stuff EXCEPT
           no water/sink, no stove, no swivel front seats, and it had the
           backward seats and middle table of the Carat.  sort of a cross
           between a Carat and a Camper (so why not call it a Cramper? :)

basically, i think the Carat was supposed to be the Wolfsburg Limited Edition
of the late 80's.

anybody out there got one? or a Multivan?

joel