More VW Diesel Knee-Slappers
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: More VW Diesel Knee-Slappers
"L.W. (ßill) ------ III" <----------@***.net> wrote in message
news:40C14C10.9E01FADF@***.net...
> What amazed me is they came out during a time when all the cars had
> a nice appearing styling, but the Rabbit truck:
> http://i10.ebayimg.com/01/i/01/e9/10/dd_1.JPG looked worst than the '60
> Datsun twenty years before.
The thing was a complete design fiasco. It was the "brainchild" of Jim
McClernan, VWoA President from '76 - '82. This guy was hired by VW because
they wanted to build in the USA and McClernan was a top level GM
manufacturing exec. Lest we forget, because of the junk they were building
in the mid-70's, GM was in the process of losing about 25% of their market
share to the Japanese. Thus, in a brilliant move, VW transplanted into their
Company the exact wrong culture & processes and it would soon decimate their
US market share. VWs goal was capture 5% of the US market, about 500k sales
per year selling junk. Sure, the public is stupid!
They bought the Westmoreland plant (outside Pittsburg) from pre-Iacocca
Chrysler and an old AMC stamping plant in West Virginia, plus Chrysler's
Sterling Heights, MI plant, which never became operational and was
eventually sold back to Chrysler. They then proceeded to "Americanize" the
products with cheap looking interiors & trim, and disgusting color packages
like the baby blue on that pickup. (Driving one wearing sunglasses and a hat
made a good disguise.) Meanwhile the Japanese began setting up high quality
manufacturing in the USA, but VW announces they cannot make their cost &
quality goals here and shut the PA plant down, transferring production to
Mexico in '88. The Mexican-built cars were even worse. By '94 the labor
strife at the Puebla plant was so bad, and the quality of the cars so bad,
they shut the plant down and fored all the workers. They thus had no cars to
sell in the USA for 18 months save the idiotic Brazilian made Fox, and a few
German production models like the Passat and Corrado. In a nutshell, VWs US
management from 1975 - 1995 was among the worst in the auto industry.
The Rabbit pickup had no more effective payload capability than the sedan
with the rear seat folded down. Plus, since it was fwd, it was an ill
handling brick with any load in it at all. The cab was so small anyone over
6 ft could hardly enter the thing and the seat travel was non
existant....cramp city. Not that anyone would want to drive one of these
things very far, anyway. What would be the point? The dealers never
requested the product, but got it anyway. Because it quickly became
sales-proof they were outraged. However, the poor customers who bought 'em
made the ultimate automotive sacrifice.
news:40C14C10.9E01FADF@***.net...
> What amazed me is they came out during a time when all the cars had
> a nice appearing styling, but the Rabbit truck:
> http://i10.ebayimg.com/01/i/01/e9/10/dd_1.JPG looked worst than the '60
> Datsun twenty years before.
The thing was a complete design fiasco. It was the "brainchild" of Jim
McClernan, VWoA President from '76 - '82. This guy was hired by VW because
they wanted to build in the USA and McClernan was a top level GM
manufacturing exec. Lest we forget, because of the junk they were building
in the mid-70's, GM was in the process of losing about 25% of their market
share to the Japanese. Thus, in a brilliant move, VW transplanted into their
Company the exact wrong culture & processes and it would soon decimate their
US market share. VWs goal was capture 5% of the US market, about 500k sales
per year selling junk. Sure, the public is stupid!
They bought the Westmoreland plant (outside Pittsburg) from pre-Iacocca
Chrysler and an old AMC stamping plant in West Virginia, plus Chrysler's
Sterling Heights, MI plant, which never became operational and was
eventually sold back to Chrysler. They then proceeded to "Americanize" the
products with cheap looking interiors & trim, and disgusting color packages
like the baby blue on that pickup. (Driving one wearing sunglasses and a hat
made a good disguise.) Meanwhile the Japanese began setting up high quality
manufacturing in the USA, but VW announces they cannot make their cost &
quality goals here and shut the PA plant down, transferring production to
Mexico in '88. The Mexican-built cars were even worse. By '94 the labor
strife at the Puebla plant was so bad, and the quality of the cars so bad,
they shut the plant down and fored all the workers. They thus had no cars to
sell in the USA for 18 months save the idiotic Brazilian made Fox, and a few
German production models like the Passat and Corrado. In a nutshell, VWs US
management from 1975 - 1995 was among the worst in the auto industry.
The Rabbit pickup had no more effective payload capability than the sedan
with the rear seat folded down. Plus, since it was fwd, it was an ill
handling brick with any load in it at all. The cab was so small anyone over
6 ft could hardly enter the thing and the seat travel was non
existant....cramp city. Not that anyone would want to drive one of these
things very far, anyway. What would be the point? The dealers never
requested the product, but got it anyway. Because it quickly became
sales-proof they were outraged. However, the poor customers who bought 'em
made the ultimate automotive sacrifice.
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: More VW Diesel Knee-Slappers
"L.W. (ßill) ------ III" <----------@***.net> wrote in message
news:40C14C10.9E01FADF@***.net...
> What amazed me is they came out during a time when all the cars had
> a nice appearing styling, but the Rabbit truck:
> http://i10.ebayimg.com/01/i/01/e9/10/dd_1.JPG looked worst than the '60
> Datsun twenty years before.
The thing was a complete design fiasco. It was the "brainchild" of Jim
McClernan, VWoA President from '76 - '82. This guy was hired by VW because
they wanted to build in the USA and McClernan was a top level GM
manufacturing exec. Lest we forget, because of the junk they were building
in the mid-70's, GM was in the process of losing about 25% of their market
share to the Japanese. Thus, in a brilliant move, VW transplanted into their
Company the exact wrong culture & processes and it would soon decimate their
US market share. VWs goal was capture 5% of the US market, about 500k sales
per year selling junk. Sure, the public is stupid!
They bought the Westmoreland plant (outside Pittsburg) from pre-Iacocca
Chrysler and an old AMC stamping plant in West Virginia, plus Chrysler's
Sterling Heights, MI plant, which never became operational and was
eventually sold back to Chrysler. They then proceeded to "Americanize" the
products with cheap looking interiors & trim, and disgusting color packages
like the baby blue on that pickup. (Driving one wearing sunglasses and a hat
made a good disguise.) Meanwhile the Japanese began setting up high quality
manufacturing in the USA, but VW announces they cannot make their cost &
quality goals here and shut the PA plant down, transferring production to
Mexico in '88. The Mexican-built cars were even worse. By '94 the labor
strife at the Puebla plant was so bad, and the quality of the cars so bad,
they shut the plant down and fored all the workers. They thus had no cars to
sell in the USA for 18 months save the idiotic Brazilian made Fox, and a few
German production models like the Passat and Corrado. In a nutshell, VWs US
management from 1975 - 1995 was among the worst in the auto industry.
The Rabbit pickup had no more effective payload capability than the sedan
with the rear seat folded down. Plus, since it was fwd, it was an ill
handling brick with any load in it at all. The cab was so small anyone over
6 ft could hardly enter the thing and the seat travel was non
existant....cramp city. Not that anyone would want to drive one of these
things very far, anyway. What would be the point? The dealers never
requested the product, but got it anyway. Because it quickly became
sales-proof they were outraged. However, the poor customers who bought 'em
made the ultimate automotive sacrifice.
news:40C14C10.9E01FADF@***.net...
> What amazed me is they came out during a time when all the cars had
> a nice appearing styling, but the Rabbit truck:
> http://i10.ebayimg.com/01/i/01/e9/10/dd_1.JPG looked worst than the '60
> Datsun twenty years before.
The thing was a complete design fiasco. It was the "brainchild" of Jim
McClernan, VWoA President from '76 - '82. This guy was hired by VW because
they wanted to build in the USA and McClernan was a top level GM
manufacturing exec. Lest we forget, because of the junk they were building
in the mid-70's, GM was in the process of losing about 25% of their market
share to the Japanese. Thus, in a brilliant move, VW transplanted into their
Company the exact wrong culture & processes and it would soon decimate their
US market share. VWs goal was capture 5% of the US market, about 500k sales
per year selling junk. Sure, the public is stupid!
They bought the Westmoreland plant (outside Pittsburg) from pre-Iacocca
Chrysler and an old AMC stamping plant in West Virginia, plus Chrysler's
Sterling Heights, MI plant, which never became operational and was
eventually sold back to Chrysler. They then proceeded to "Americanize" the
products with cheap looking interiors & trim, and disgusting color packages
like the baby blue on that pickup. (Driving one wearing sunglasses and a hat
made a good disguise.) Meanwhile the Japanese began setting up high quality
manufacturing in the USA, but VW announces they cannot make their cost &
quality goals here and shut the PA plant down, transferring production to
Mexico in '88. The Mexican-built cars were even worse. By '94 the labor
strife at the Puebla plant was so bad, and the quality of the cars so bad,
they shut the plant down and fored all the workers. They thus had no cars to
sell in the USA for 18 months save the idiotic Brazilian made Fox, and a few
German production models like the Passat and Corrado. In a nutshell, VWs US
management from 1975 - 1995 was among the worst in the auto industry.
The Rabbit pickup had no more effective payload capability than the sedan
with the rear seat folded down. Plus, since it was fwd, it was an ill
handling brick with any load in it at all. The cab was so small anyone over
6 ft could hardly enter the thing and the seat travel was non
existant....cramp city. Not that anyone would want to drive one of these
things very far, anyway. What would be the point? The dealers never
requested the product, but got it anyway. Because it quickly became
sales-proof they were outraged. However, the poor customers who bought 'em
made the ultimate automotive sacrifice.
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: More VW Diesel Knee-Slappers
"L.W. (ßill) ------ III" <----------@***.net> wrote in message
news:40C14C10.9E01FADF@***.net...
> What amazed me is they came out during a time when all the cars had
> a nice appearing styling, but the Rabbit truck:
> http://i10.ebayimg.com/01/i/01/e9/10/dd_1.JPG looked worst than the '60
> Datsun twenty years before.
The thing was a complete design fiasco. It was the "brainchild" of Jim
McClernan, VWoA President from '76 - '82. This guy was hired by VW because
they wanted to build in the USA and McClernan was a top level GM
manufacturing exec. Lest we forget, because of the junk they were building
in the mid-70's, GM was in the process of losing about 25% of their market
share to the Japanese. Thus, in a brilliant move, VW transplanted into their
Company the exact wrong culture & processes and it would soon decimate their
US market share. VWs goal was capture 5% of the US market, about 500k sales
per year selling junk. Sure, the public is stupid!
They bought the Westmoreland plant (outside Pittsburg) from pre-Iacocca
Chrysler and an old AMC stamping plant in West Virginia, plus Chrysler's
Sterling Heights, MI plant, which never became operational and was
eventually sold back to Chrysler. They then proceeded to "Americanize" the
products with cheap looking interiors & trim, and disgusting color packages
like the baby blue on that pickup. (Driving one wearing sunglasses and a hat
made a good disguise.) Meanwhile the Japanese began setting up high quality
manufacturing in the USA, but VW announces they cannot make their cost &
quality goals here and shut the PA plant down, transferring production to
Mexico in '88. The Mexican-built cars were even worse. By '94 the labor
strife at the Puebla plant was so bad, and the quality of the cars so bad,
they shut the plant down and fored all the workers. They thus had no cars to
sell in the USA for 18 months save the idiotic Brazilian made Fox, and a few
German production models like the Passat and Corrado. In a nutshell, VWs US
management from 1975 - 1995 was among the worst in the auto industry.
The Rabbit pickup had no more effective payload capability than the sedan
with the rear seat folded down. Plus, since it was fwd, it was an ill
handling brick with any load in it at all. The cab was so small anyone over
6 ft could hardly enter the thing and the seat travel was non
existant....cramp city. Not that anyone would want to drive one of these
things very far, anyway. What would be the point? The dealers never
requested the product, but got it anyway. Because it quickly became
sales-proof they were outraged. However, the poor customers who bought 'em
made the ultimate automotive sacrifice.
news:40C14C10.9E01FADF@***.net...
> What amazed me is they came out during a time when all the cars had
> a nice appearing styling, but the Rabbit truck:
> http://i10.ebayimg.com/01/i/01/e9/10/dd_1.JPG looked worst than the '60
> Datsun twenty years before.
The thing was a complete design fiasco. It was the "brainchild" of Jim
McClernan, VWoA President from '76 - '82. This guy was hired by VW because
they wanted to build in the USA and McClernan was a top level GM
manufacturing exec. Lest we forget, because of the junk they were building
in the mid-70's, GM was in the process of losing about 25% of their market
share to the Japanese. Thus, in a brilliant move, VW transplanted into their
Company the exact wrong culture & processes and it would soon decimate their
US market share. VWs goal was capture 5% of the US market, about 500k sales
per year selling junk. Sure, the public is stupid!
They bought the Westmoreland plant (outside Pittsburg) from pre-Iacocca
Chrysler and an old AMC stamping plant in West Virginia, plus Chrysler's
Sterling Heights, MI plant, which never became operational and was
eventually sold back to Chrysler. They then proceeded to "Americanize" the
products with cheap looking interiors & trim, and disgusting color packages
like the baby blue on that pickup. (Driving one wearing sunglasses and a hat
made a good disguise.) Meanwhile the Japanese began setting up high quality
manufacturing in the USA, but VW announces they cannot make their cost &
quality goals here and shut the PA plant down, transferring production to
Mexico in '88. The Mexican-built cars were even worse. By '94 the labor
strife at the Puebla plant was so bad, and the quality of the cars so bad,
they shut the plant down and fored all the workers. They thus had no cars to
sell in the USA for 18 months save the idiotic Brazilian made Fox, and a few
German production models like the Passat and Corrado. In a nutshell, VWs US
management from 1975 - 1995 was among the worst in the auto industry.
The Rabbit pickup had no more effective payload capability than the sedan
with the rear seat folded down. Plus, since it was fwd, it was an ill
handling brick with any load in it at all. The cab was so small anyone over
6 ft could hardly enter the thing and the seat travel was non
existant....cramp city. Not that anyone would want to drive one of these
things very far, anyway. What would be the point? The dealers never
requested the product, but got it anyway. Because it quickly became
sales-proof they were outraged. However, the poor customers who bought 'em
made the ultimate automotive sacrifice.
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: More VW Diesel Knee-Slappers
"DougW" <post.replies@invalid.address> wrote in message
news:yCewc.21199$%T.867@okepread05...
> folks.
>
> This BS has gone long enough for me to even get
> sick of it.
>
> Sorry to say, but this thread from hence forth is
> plonked. First ever subject blacklisting for me
> in this froup.
>
> --
> DougW
Oh, stop! Next thing you know you'll be buying fuel at the truck stop.
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: More VW Diesel Knee-Slappers
"DougW" <post.replies@invalid.address> wrote in message
news:yCewc.21199$%T.867@okepread05...
> folks.
>
> This BS has gone long enough for me to even get
> sick of it.
>
> Sorry to say, but this thread from hence forth is
> plonked. First ever subject blacklisting for me
> in this froup.
>
> --
> DougW
Oh, stop! Next thing you know you'll be buying fuel at the truck stop.
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: More VW Diesel Knee-Slappers
"DougW" <post.replies@invalid.address> wrote in message
news:yCewc.21199$%T.867@okepread05...
> folks.
>
> This BS has gone long enough for me to even get
> sick of it.
>
> Sorry to say, but this thread from hence forth is
> plonked. First ever subject blacklisting for me
> in this froup.
>
> --
> DougW
Oh, stop! Next thing you know you'll be buying fuel at the truck stop.
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: More VW Diesel Knee-Slappers
"DougW" <post.replies@invalid.address> wrote in message
news:yCewc.21199$%T.867@okepread05...
> folks.
>
> This BS has gone long enough for me to even get
> sick of it.
>
> Sorry to say, but this thread from hence forth is
> plonked. First ever subject blacklisting for me
> in this froup.
>
> --
> DougW
Oh, stop! Next thing you know you'll be buying fuel at the truck stop.
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: More VW Diesel Knee-Slappers
I like the owner's description: "like most Rabbit trucks the inside
of the bed is in good shape" "new Diesel engine and new clutch" "you can
pick on of these up at any junk yard for next to nothing"
God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/
Gary Tateosian wrote:
>
> ...again you guys prove beyond a doubt your amazing level of
> ignorance....
>
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...category=15294
>
> ...2 days left to bid and sitting at $1200 currently....180,000
> trouble free miles and running great
>
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...category=15294
>
> ...2 days left and currently at $1525
>
> This was a simple look at ONE source ...hey I was lazy and figured
> e-barf would have something up there.
>
> ...Gareth
of the bed is in good shape" "new Diesel engine and new clutch" "you can
pick on of these up at any junk yard for next to nothing"
God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/
Gary Tateosian wrote:
>
> ...again you guys prove beyond a doubt your amazing level of
> ignorance....
>
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...category=15294
>
> ...2 days left to bid and sitting at $1200 currently....180,000
> trouble free miles and running great
>
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...category=15294
>
> ...2 days left and currently at $1525
>
> This was a simple look at ONE source ...hey I was lazy and figured
> e-barf would have something up there.
>
> ...Gareth
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: More VW Diesel Knee-Slappers
I like the owner's description: "like most Rabbit trucks the inside
of the bed is in good shape" "new Diesel engine and new clutch" "you can
pick on of these up at any junk yard for next to nothing"
God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/
Gary Tateosian wrote:
>
> ...again you guys prove beyond a doubt your amazing level of
> ignorance....
>
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...category=15294
>
> ...2 days left to bid and sitting at $1200 currently....180,000
> trouble free miles and running great
>
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...category=15294
>
> ...2 days left and currently at $1525
>
> This was a simple look at ONE source ...hey I was lazy and figured
> e-barf would have something up there.
>
> ...Gareth
of the bed is in good shape" "new Diesel engine and new clutch" "you can
pick on of these up at any junk yard for next to nothing"
God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/
Gary Tateosian wrote:
>
> ...again you guys prove beyond a doubt your amazing level of
> ignorance....
>
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...category=15294
>
> ...2 days left to bid and sitting at $1200 currently....180,000
> trouble free miles and running great
>
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...category=15294
>
> ...2 days left and currently at $1525
>
> This was a simple look at ONE source ...hey I was lazy and figured
> e-barf would have something up there.
>
> ...Gareth
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: More VW Diesel Knee-Slappers
I like the owner's description: "like most Rabbit trucks the inside
of the bed is in good shape" "new Diesel engine and new clutch" "you can
pick on of these up at any junk yard for next to nothing"
God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/
Gary Tateosian wrote:
>
> ...again you guys prove beyond a doubt your amazing level of
> ignorance....
>
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...category=15294
>
> ...2 days left to bid and sitting at $1200 currently....180,000
> trouble free miles and running great
>
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...category=15294
>
> ...2 days left and currently at $1525
>
> This was a simple look at ONE source ...hey I was lazy and figured
> e-barf would have something up there.
>
> ...Gareth
of the bed is in good shape" "new Diesel engine and new clutch" "you can
pick on of these up at any junk yard for next to nothing"
God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/
Gary Tateosian wrote:
>
> ...again you guys prove beyond a doubt your amazing level of
> ignorance....
>
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...category=15294
>
> ...2 days left to bid and sitting at $1200 currently....180,000
> trouble free miles and running great
>
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...category=15294
>
> ...2 days left and currently at $1525
>
> This was a simple look at ONE source ...hey I was lazy and figured
> e-barf would have something up there.
>
> ...Gareth