Quote from cars.com

[isham-research.freeserve.co.uk at pop.pol.net.uk]

> ... even though there almost isn't a VW dealer in Europe that doesn't
> sell Audis. They go about hand in hand.

The opposite is now almost true in the UK.

Certainly in the UK, the VW/Audi brand separation exercise has been
followed with almost religious zeal.  Only good personal relationships
permit me to order Audi-only parts from a VW dealer.

Audi's only dealership in the Northamptonshire area itself is Riverside
Audi.  I'm not especially sorry to say that they are, technically, dorks.
The only flashes of illumination there are a couple of pretty good parts
people transferred from Wellingborough, which used to be a smart operation.

Try and buy an Audi or an Audi accessory from the VW outlets in
Kettering or Wellingborough and they'll simply send you to Northampton.
Some idiot thought this up on a spreadsheet - it completely ignores a
massive local cultural issue.  People here are fiercely proud of their
humdrum little towns and already have to go to Northampton for far too
many reasons.  It's also twenty unnecessary traffic-soaked miles.

I've actually seen them lose an A6 deal in real time on the showroom
floor.  "F%$& Northampton - I'll go next door to Mercedes!"

--
 Phil Payne
 UK Audi quattro Owners Club
 Phone +44 7785 302803   Fax: +44 7785 309674