Chrysler to build VW Vans?????

[tds3pete]

Anybody else see the article in the Wall Street Journal a couple of days ago about VW and Chryser being in "advanced talks" about Chrysler building a VW van in the US? They talk about the problems VW is having with labor, exchange rate and sales. It actually might be a way to get a van back into this country. Speak up if you know any more.
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'58 Westy camper-come and gone
'73 Westy-bought new in Holland,now gone
'86 Syncro weekender-come and gone
'79 Westy...Oscar
'95 Eurovan Camper/5 spd...Marsha Mellow

[deschutestrout]

Unless they're going to build German quality split and bay buses....I don't see myself rushing to a Chrysler dealer any time soon
_________________
'71 bug, answers to "Clementine"
'75 7 passenger bus called "Kombi"
'78 7 passenger sunroof bus, goes by "Gus"
'78 Westy "'Ole Red...The Happy Camper"
'78 Westy "The Big Turd"

[static]

Daimler and Volkswagen Planning a Minivan
By MARK LANDLER

FRANKFURT, Aug. 23 - Germany's two largest carmakers, Volkswagen and DaimlerChrysler, are in advanced talks about jointly building a new minivan for the American market, executives at the companies said Tuesday.

The deal, likely to be announced next month at the Frankfurt auto show, would give Volkswagen a major lift in its effort to turn around its dismal fortunes in the United States. It would also increase production at DaimlerChrysler's two North American plants that make minivans.

The vehicle would be based on the design of the Chrysler Town and Country and the Dodge Caravan, but would have features unique to Volkswagen, these people said. It could go on sale by 2007.

Joint ventures in car production are becoming increasingly common, as carmakers try to defray the costs of developing new models and to respond more quickly to changing consumer tastes.

For Volkswagen - troubled by plunging sales in the United States because of aging models, quality problems and the disappointing debut of the new Jetta - the deal is a first step toward stabilizing its position.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/24/business/worldbusiness/24minivan.html

[cree]

What a wonderfull caring company.
http://www.daimlerchryslervehicleproblems.com/

[david a.]

like we need another minivan.

[ratwell]

[iggi]

[westy78]

[DeathBus]

OH BOY A VOLKSWAGEN CARAVAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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65 Bus, 72 Bus, 63 bus, 98 Golf, 92 Cabrio, 71 Fasty
In the shop a 62 Bus and a 79 bus

[VWLover77]

I guess I'll have to be the dissenting opinion here. Our main "family car" is a 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan, the third Caravan we've owned. Our last one was a 1996, that we traded in after 126,000 miles of reliable service.

Every time I drive our new one, I think about how VW-ish it is. Versatile, innovative (especially with the Stow-N-Go seats), safe, efficient (we got 26mpg at 70-75mph from the 3.8L V6 on a trip to the east coast), and unassuming. I think about how different things would have been if VW had chosen to build a Caravan-like vehicle instead of the Vanagon back in 1980....

Today's automotive industry is an incestuous marketing machine - trying to outsource or joint-venture every mechanical piece possible, then selling the public on the uniqueness of their "brand". It's a sad state of affairs, but that's how the game is played.

In that context, this assouncement makes perfect sense.

Given the choice to have a Dodge Grand Caravan sitting in our garage or the exact same vehicle with a VW logo, I'm sure I'd choose the VW version. Assuming there are other people out there that would do the same thing, that may be all the motivation VW needs to announce a plan like this.

Don
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Don

1978 Westy
1971 Super Beetle Convertible


"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world." - J.R.R. Tolkien

[DurocShark]

[VWLover77]

I agree on the 126K. We debated quite a bit about whether to trade up or not, because the van really had NO mechanical issues that were pushing us to dump it.

Don
_________________
Don

1978 Westy
1971 Super Beetle Convertible


"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world." - J.R.R. Tolkien

[static]

I just wanna know why we never got the Sharan.
http://images.google.com/images?q=VW%20Sharan&hl=en&lr=&safe=off&sa=N&tab=wi

[MrBreeze]

[rccbusfreak]

I think its really cool how Chrysler and GM have revived some nostalgic body designs. Could you imagine a new older looking bus? My grandfather (has had all kinds of vw's) has a turbo diesel jetta and bought it new a couple years ago. He says it does 90 like nothing and is getting right at 40 mpg.
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71 Westfalia
68 Transporter
71 Transporter parts bus (the bus that keeps on giving)
LudwigUSA

[tds3pete]

Look at the bright side. We might get a VW van again in the US. I've owned every style of van VW has made, except the Eurovan. Let's face it, they just blew it on that model. If you have ever driven the Chryler minivan and the Eurovan, you'll see why the Eurovan doesn't sell...it is like driving a Ford truck.

Although I bleed VW blood every times I rap my knuckles yanking off air cooled tin, I would jump on the right van made in a Chrylser plant to VW specs with a VW logo and Westy interior.

It is now a world auto business where all players mix it up to survive. With VW labor and exchange problems, they have to do someting. They simply cannot compete in the North American market building cars in Germany. A USED T5 Westy diesel in Europe sell for 55,000 Euros, that's over $70,000....something has to change to bring this car back!
_________________
'58 Westy camper-come and gone
'73 Westy-bought new in Holland,now gone
'86 Syncro weekender-come and gone
'79 Westy...Oscar
'95 Eurovan Camper/5 spd...Marsha Mellow

[jereandjess]

I like how that Sharan has a stick shift. There are not too many, if any, mini vans out there that are manual!
_________________
~Jeremy (and Jessica)
77 Sage Green Westfalia 2.0 FI - since May 2004
78 Blue Landmark camper 2.0 FI - since April 1998
69 Beetle - In the family since new
86 Wolfsburg Vanagon Camper "Weekender" since July 25, 2015

[westy demi-god]

I have a Chrysler T&C minivan, 2001, for my wife to drive. In a couple of years when it hits 100K and the extended warranty ends, it's gonna be gone. I'd love to replace it with a VW-badged minivan. And, it's not far-fetched to believe that although there would be platform sharing the engines would be crated VW mills assembled in Der Vaterland. My watercooled VW mechanicals have not only lasted into the 200,000 mi range, but were running like new at that age. It seems that american engines and transmissions self-destruct at ~120,000 mi.
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1971 Westy
2001 BMW 325iT
2007 Subaru Impreza 2.5i Wagon
MySpace

[josh]

[VWBusrepairman]

I guess I just won't ever find interest in a mini van. Seems like it might be a decent vehicle, but I'm just set on having my '78 bus and no car payment/ high insurance/ etc. that comes from owning a new vehicle.

Can't understand why that Jetta was a disappointment at all. In truth, the Toyota and Volkswagen cars look very similar. It's a sea of same looking lackluster designs out there. It makes our bay buses stand out even more so! Long live bays!