I would definitely agree with the comment that VW is egotistical. Their
plans to venture upmarket by dramatically buying up everything on offer is
disconcerting.
Their chairman, Piech, seems to think that overnight VW will become a grand
marque of the world. This is complete BS. VW is a common brand and has the
image to match. Furthermore, their product is probably the most overrated
in the world. My grandfather worked for VW Canada for around 10 years and I
grew up with a fondness for the company. However, the company became famous
on the back of one of the worst cars this world has seen, the Beetle. Of
all the defining mass-market cars of this century (i.e. Mini, Citroen 2CV6,
Renault 4, Fiat Cinquecento) the Beetle is the worst. Poor fuel economy,
heavy and sluggish. For some reason, North Americans were stupid enough to
make this car an icon. Forutunately, in places like England the new
Beetle's arrival won't mean much because nobody liked the old one.
Of the current crop of cars, the Passat in particular has won praise. I
drove this car a month ago and was thoroughly dissapointed. The car is a
boat and it lacks style. In fact there has never been any VW in the last 10
years that has led its class. In North America, VW has suckered people into
thinking that VW's are real driver's cars. However, any Peugeot, Renault,
even the new Fiats (Marea, Punto) offer at least the same dynamically if not
more.
As for VW/Audi taking over Rolls-Royce and possibly Lamborghini, I think it
must be a little offensive to the English and Italians to have their symbols
taken over by the Germans.
My $.02
[Robert Cullemore]
DLJ London
>> The company's plans in the luxury class, Stern said, include reviving the
>> ``Horch''
>> brand owned by its Audi AG subsidiary. ``Horch'' limousines were the
>> pre-World War Two favourites of millionaires and film stars in Germany.
>>
>> VW intends building Horch cars with 18-cylinder motors at a factory in
>> Dresden, according to Stern.
>> It also wants to buy Italian sports carmaker
>> Lamborghini and add it to its Audi subsidiary, Stern said.
> That is the most ludicrous thing I've ever heard. Is it
> Portofino time again? Hey, why not have GMC build
> the Ferrari Maranello from now on... Or maybe Mack
> or Caterpillar...