sobering vw article

[cobram at juno.com]

 "Keith Lawyer" <LawyerKG at co.laplata.co.us> writes:

> Um, I'm no financial or auto industry expert, but isn't this why 
> you have luxury lines?  ie Audi?
> 
> Shouldn't your luxury line take off where your "normal" flagship 
> leaves off?  ie Lexus' start at the Camry, Infinitis start at the
Maxima, 
> Audis start at the Passat?

You're right on the money. VW is equated with small, cheap, economical,
appliance cars in the conscience and sub conscience of the masses,
period.  Whether this is right or wrong doesn't make any difference,
perception is everything in this case.  The Japanese was astute enough to
see this mental block and overcome it by inventing and marketing the same
cars under new names, images and badges, as you mentioned.

It's the same reason we don't get any on the ubber Diesels they get in
the rest of the world.  The public has a mind set that diesel means
noise, pollution, bad reliability, hard starting, etc., and no matter how
many facts you put out there, this is what's ingrained in most, and
they'll react at a gut level when buying, and not even consider it.

BCNU,
http://www.geocities.com/cobramsri/