care for black paint

["John R. Boyce" <nbec@tic.bisman.com>]

There may be an Audi tie-in here, but I'm not sure.  It depends on whether
VW and Audi use the same black paint on their new cars...

My daughter recently took delivery of a black 1998 VW Beetle, and we would
like to keep it looking good.  We have never owned a black car, so I don't
know the best way to polish/wax it, nor what to expect in the way of fading.

My red 1991 Coupe Quattro, and her previous car (a red 1989 VW Cabriolet)
both tend to fade.  I have found that 3M Hand Glaze does a good job of
bringing the color back, and I then follow up with Meguiars Yellow Wax as a
protectant.  In my experience, the 3M product works better and easier than
Meguiars #7 or any other product I have used.  Will the VW black eventually
begin to fade like the red?  (As far as I can tell, it's not a clear coat;
I guess the Germans don't believe in clear coats for solid colors).  Any
suggestions on treating the black paint to keep it as fade, swirl and
scratch free as possible?  Is there something we can apply now (one of the
newer poly products, perhaps) that will prevent some of these problems from
developing later?

John R. Boyce
Bismarck, ND
1991 Coupe Quattro