Hi all,
 Just got back from a business trip to Germany with an extra day
(last Saturday) for the Frankfurt auto show (IAA). VW took up an
entire convention hall (hall #1) by itself. I never realized that VW
has Syncro everything over there. In addition to Syncro Eurovans
(which are called Caravelles and Multivans there) they have Syncro
Golfs, Jettas (Ventos), and Passats.
   The Eurovans come in all sorts of configurations from the ordinary
passenger van with 7 seats to campers by Westfalia to rolling
offices complete with cel fax machines to stretched passenger vans
with 3 rows of back seats behind the driver. Sliding doors can be on
the right, left or both. One neat thing was swivel seats for the
middle row which allows people to ride forward or turn around and
face the rear bench with a fold out table between them.
  Now for the big question. Why don't they sell those over here in
the new world? No one at the show could come up with an answer.
  There were 9 other halls for the other car companies of the world
to share so one day wasn't nearly enough to see everything but it was
quite an experience. There were lots of vendors there who sell parts
and accessories for VW's and I asked for some catalogues, so I'll
post anything that seems interesting when they come.
  One interesting thing I noticed there was that about half of all
the VW's and Audi's had TDI on the back. The Passat that we rented had
the TDI engine and it felt like a V6. We got it up to 200 KPH (120
MPH) on the autobahn. I think that it would be a great upgrade for my
Vanagon Syncro over here. Now, if I can only find a passat TDI that
was rear ended and totaled...

Henry Luhrs, Massachusetts
78 Bus
85 Jetta GLI
87 Vanagon Syncro