Re: Lastest "EUROPEAN CAR" has lame A8 article

[Dave Head <dhead@sundial.sundial.net>]

At 08:50 PM 10/30/96 EST, you wrote:
 They claim a car costing that much needs
>a hook or gimmick to attract the high-end buyer. The whole article wasn't
>negative, but it was negative enough to make me think that the author had
>missed the point or was not really an Audi fan. I haven't had time to read the
>rest of the mag.
>

I read the article and felt they loved the car - BUT from a marketing
standpoint, the A8 as a flagship in the US may be a problem. 65K is a bunch
of cash. Even as an Audi lover, I immediately compare that price to a Jag
XJR - supercharged and beautiful (even though I like the older SIII body
better than the XJ40). IF I imagined myself as a buyer - what about it
keeping its value?
It is a beautiful car, but still rather plain (beauty is in the technology).
That can be a hard sell when you look at Audi's reputation here as a high
maintenance vehicle. The dealer service package has been a great selling
point the last few years - but the dealer service itself has been lacking.

Reminds me of the problems Ford had with the first couple years selling the
SHO. Understated and hard to spot - looked too much like a regular Taurus.
For afficionados, we eat that stuff up. For the masses that want to be
'seen', they'll pass and buy a Lexus, Jaguar, Mercedes, or any number of
'standout' instant recognition cars. We can say "Fine - they don't deserve
such a good car" but if you don't have a gimmick or two to draw them in it
can hurt sales.

Audi is still rebuilding here. I'm certain A8 sales in the UK and the rest
of Europe will be great. A4 sales here have been great - people graduate to
the next level of the marque once the reputation is established, ala Civic,
Accord, Acura. The A8 here will be a flop if not marketed correctly - and
AofA doesn't have my vote as phenom in the marketing area.

We're all excited by the possibilities of the new 1.8T, and 30Vtt S4.  How
many OF US are lining up for an A8???


********************************AUDI FAN***********************************
                                       EMCM(SW) Dave Head  
87 5KCSTQ 179K miles and counting... 1.8 bar boost - Whee!
                                              Maitland, Florida
******************************************************************************