VW Taking On Mercedes

[Pete Kraus <Pete_Kraus@EMORY.ORG>]

Sean Ford's comment about public perception, not technical expertise,
being the real obstacle to VW's proposed challenge to Mercedes is
right on the money.  While acknowledging that VW's image in Europe is
more upscale than in the U.S., I remain skeptical about the success of
such a strategy.  Frankly, I think it's a waste of marketing resources
when a more logical alternative exists.  

Why not revive the Horch marque?  The idea has surfaced before but
never gone anywhere.  Horch was the premium brand of the Auto Union
combine in the '30s.  It competed, albeit not very successfully, against
Mercedes back then.  Today it has virtually no name recognition except
among the cognoscenti, but as Audi's wealthy, long-absent older
brother it has heritage to spare.  Introducing an unfamiliar name for a
luxury product didn't prove risky for the likes of Honda, Toyota or
Nissan.  Would Lexus have been a success in its price range had it
been badged Toyota?   Unlike Japanese made up names, Horch
promoters could hark back to the turn of the century when August
Horch built cars under his name.  Later, he started the company which
became Audi.

My opinion has a distinctly American perspective to it. I'm not entirely
convinced the world needs another Mercedes competitor.  But if
Ferdinand Piech is determined to try, it would seem easier to
re-introduce prospective buyers to an old luxury name than to convince
them that the maker of the oh-so-classless Beetle whose latter day
products have suffered something of an identity crisis (not to mention
the occasional negative comment regarding build quality and reliability)
is now the prestige marque of choice.

Pete
Pete_Kraus@emory.org
Stone Mountain, GA
'85 4KSQ
'89 F250 4x4 diesel
'95 Z28