[urq] My (brief) chat with the Audi brass

[Wylie Bean]

Fellow Ur-q enthusiasts,
I did get a very brief chance to speak directly with Johan De
Nysschen, Executive VP of Audi of America, among others whose names I
can't recall other than Peter Bartlett, and the Area 79 Manager Harry
Oxnard, and the FOM for the same region, Joe Koteles yesterday
evening.  Harry was my ASM when I was an ABS, and he introduced me to
Johan.  He seemed very genuine and appreciative of the response and
attendance of the event in a town/market like Winston-Salem NC.
Flow was celebrating the opening of their second "World of Audi"
(hangar) building, and the Champion R8 and RS6 Speed GT cars were on
hand as well.  It made for a pretty good environment.  I told him I
was very much an enthusiast, and a long-time owner of Audis, but was
saddened by what seemed like a lack of support for the cars that made
Audi, the original quattro.  It didn't hurt that Eddie Pyle had a
pristine original Gobi Urq that he drove up from TN for the event
which I couldn't help but point out as I was making my point.  I
mentioned the obsolescence of critical parts required to keep the cars
on the road, and wondered if he was aware of the issue.  To shorten a
not-so-long answer, he said he was not, but but would look into it.
Joe Koteles, who's been with Audi in the fixed ops capacity for a long
time, was aware of it, and knowing him a whole lot better, I actually
was able to drive the point home I thought better than in the limited
time I had with De Nysschen.  He said he would make a point to keep
bringing that up in his communications with his superiors.  I don't
know what good any of this may have done, as it could just as easily
be lip service as it was genuine, but hey, it's a start.

Wylie Bean
TheRingmeister at triad.rr.com
90 Cq
99.5 A4 Avant 1.8Tq
01 allroad q 2.7T