Open letter to Malcolm Pray (long)

[HaleyD@YANKELOVICH.COM (Haley, Doug)]

I test drove an Audi 1.8t at Pray Audi in Greenwich.  In the subsequent three
days I got letters from the sales guy, the service manager and malcolm
pray himself telling me what a great place this was to buy a car.  Taking a
page from Doug Miller, here's a large BW copy of my response:

Dear Mr. Pray,

I was impressed with your letter-writing campaign.  I would like to buy a
car as much as you'd like to sell one to me.  Unfortunately, you no longer
import the car I want (an Audi S6 wagon).

I know that as an important high-volume Audi dealer, you have consider-
able influence with the factory.  Their success is a function of your success,
and your success speaks for itself.   I would like to petition you to use your
influence to convince the Audi factory to certify and sell their upscale "S" 
models (with manual transmissions) in the U.S.

The lunatic fringe of Audi owners are the highly loyal sport model owners
like myself, who sustained the brand during its down years after the
"unintended acceleration" fiasco.  Pray has always understood and served
this market well.  I've owned the original Quattro, an Audi 5000 turbo quattro
and now an Audi S4, all of which cater to this market.  However, Audi's
decision not to certify the S6 for OBDII has left us without a viable alternative.
You can change this.

This month at your dealership, I drove the A4 in both the 2.8 and 1.8t
versions (with sticks) and found that, while nice, they don't have the spirit
of my '92 S4.  I've also driven the A8, and found it potent, but uninvolving.
If I were buying a car today, I would have to forego the Audi brand and
buy a BMW M-3 sedan.  That's a shame, since Audi has the product in
Germany, but doesn't offer it here.

I've heard that Audi is seriously considering offering the "S" models here.
 I believe you recognize the importance of this splinter market, both
because of its brand loyalty and because your own sales staff turn over
used S-cars so quickly.  Please talk to the product planners and marketing
people at Audi to help keep people like me as part of the customer base.

Thanks for your consideration.  I look forward to doing business with you
again in the future.

Sincerely,

Doug Haley

P.S. Make mine a pearl-white A4-based S4 with a manual transmission
at a price near the BMW M-3.  I'll be the first in line.

P.P.S.  I know that the market is moving/has moved away from manual
transmissions.  I believe those for whom the manual is important will only
be somewhat receptive to Tiptronic.  However, I myself would be willing to
pay a $1,000 premium on any car to get a manual.  You might want to
discuss this as a strategy with the factory, as a way to make it worthwhile
to certify and sell manuals in the U.S.
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Doug Haley (haleyd@yankelovich.com)
"There is no fundamental difference between a sufficiently advanced
technology and magic" (A.C.Clarke)

'92 S4 (mine)
'95 Saab Turbo Conv (hers)
'91 Sentra SE-R (bent)
'61 Alfa Giulietta Spider Veloce (ours)
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