Some additional thoughts about the corner VW has painted itself into. This includes the decision to “invest” in a device that kinda-sorta looks like the old International Scout that Walz is driving around in to fool the rubes.
. . .
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What VW wants is to be bailed out by the idiot taxpayer slaves. This will happen.
I still maintain that the germans are the most productive slaves on earth.
Hi Anne,
I agree. I think it’s a certain bet that if Harris “wins,” the feds will use the power of the regulatory apparat to – effectively – force people to buy devices rather than vehicles. Those who can’t afford a device will walk or take the government bus.
How we know VW is in big trouble:
‘This morning, the world’s largest automaker by sales canceled several agreements linked to a three-decades-old pact that was supposed to safeguard employment until 2029, VW said. Guarantees will effectively run out by the middle of next year.
‘Cutbacks at VW are harder to push through than at other companies, since half the seats on the company’s supervisory board are held by labor representatives, and the German state of Lower Saxony — which owns a 20% stake — often sides with trade union bodies.
‘VW’s cost-cutting plans may result in unintended additional costs for the company of close to €1 billion ($1.1 billion), according to Thorsten Gröger, chief negotiator for the main IG Metall union: ending the guarantees trigger higher wages under previous collective bargaining pacts, he said in a separate statement.’
https://tinyurl.com/2s3r4pw3
What a mess! A company whose board of directors is dominated by unions and government can be described as ‘fascism with socialist characteristics.’ Or more succinctly: ‘bankrupt.’
They are simply parasites…Vogons.
All global car manufacturers have government guns to their heads. You will drive an EV or you will walk. The government terrorists prefer that you walk. They actually prefer that you die.
And they will make sure it’s a slow and VERY PAINFUL death. Nothing puts a smile on a self-proclaimed elite’s face more than human suffering!
A fetching Russian babe named Lena Petrova trolls the shit out of Germany, using Volkswagen’s crisis as her paradigmatic example:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYHWxhSQfGY
Porsche’s best seller…the Macan is supposed to go pure EV…that is bad timing…nobody is buying EV’s…and Taycan sales are down too…..
The Cayman is supposed to go pure EV too…The Cayman GT4 RS was supposed to be the end of the ice powered car….
I had a paid for, three year old car that I really enjoyed, and really had no intention of sending back to the dealer for modification. I just thought I’d have to find an independent mechanic and that’s that. But then I saw The Offer, which was for about 75% of what I paid for the vehicle. After driving it for three years and nearly 100,000 miles.
Luca Brasi held a gun to his head, and my father assured him that either his brains or his signature would be on the contract.
What could I do? Keep a car that was basically worth nothing? Even though I live in an area that doesn’t require smog testing, if I ever move to the Denver metro area it won’t be compliant. And if I get it “fixed” I won’t get the fuel economy or performance that made it such a great car. It was an offer I couldn’t refuse. So I sold it back to Audi, bought my gas hog of a Cherokee… and a DJI Inspire 1 Pro -but that’s another story.
I know it was you, Fredo. You broke my heart. You broke my heart!
I’ll never buy another VW product. Never. Not because they “broke the law” but because they broke my heart. And I imagine many other people feel the same way. Their hearts were broken, either because VW was guilty of violating the law or because they caved.
Well-said, RK –
Some inside baseball: I pled with people I know within the company to fight this. To spend some money – real money – on heavy-hitting PR to explain to people what was going on and why the “cheating” was just an excuse to go after the company for having the effrontery to offer so many affordable, high-mileage TDI cars. Obviously, the decision was taken to roll over and beg for mercy.
Makes sense. This is the same management team that intentionally crippled the Jetta and killed the Phaeton because they were creeping up to Audi levels of performance and luxury. Instead of letting their brands compete.
Right Eric, I absolutely agree with that, and look where VW is now – on the brink of bankruptcy. They should have hired a high powered law firm and a couple of lobbyists to fight back; make a few campaign contributions aka bribes to the right Clowngress critters and most of their problems would have gone away.
Hi RK – I totally get what you mean with the car company breaking your heart…. but is there any car company out there today that doesnt???
According to EU “Internal Market Commissioner” Thierry Breton, the current crisis that VW and other European automakers are facing is simply due to the fact that they “have not been able to convince their customers of the benefits of electric mobility” (!).
“EU commissioner ‘very concerned’ about European car industry”
The VW bus was and always has been fake and gay. Especially the new one.
Richard, In the UK they are giving these VW vans away on leases for a fraction of the actual price – under the assumption that in a couple years when the cars come back they can be sold on the market for a good price, as everyone warms to electric cars…..
somehow I dont see it working…
Hi Richard,
The original VW Bus was based on Beetle running gear, which meant it was a mechanically simple thing, like the Beetle. There is virtue in that. Yes, it was slow. But it was also useful – more so than a Beetle (I love them; have owned several, but they are very small and realistically carry two people only). Most of all, the old Bus was cheap. That’s part of the reason why hippies drove them. But also people who just wanted a cheap ride – and there’s nothing fake or gay about that, in my view.
Eric-
Yeah, that’s true, but most hippies were leftist commies. Many of them favored abolishing car ownership even back then. Check this clip out from the Dick Cavett show in 1969.
https://esimotion.com/pages/downloads#popup_25
Skip to 32:20
But, I get what you are saying. The old bus was a cheap ride for most people who drove them. To be fair, most weren’t aware of what was driving creeps like Crosby, though the music was pretty damned good. Good enough not to be invited to the white house in 1969.
Wrong link.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rzq8LZKdilQ&t=9s
Like many in the Laurel Canyon crowd, David Crosby’s father was an Annapolis graduate and a military intelligence officer. He is also a descendant of John Jay.
Plenty of Type 2 VWs still running.
https://www.facebook.com/OCTOshow/
>Most of all, the old Bus was cheap.
I paid $200 in 1972 for a 1960 Single Cab VW Pickup.
Was it slow? Yup.
The guy I bought it from called it “the Worm.”
Butt ugly? Yes.
But it ran, and upgrades were easy, and relatively cheap.
Dune buggies were popular, and the mechanical upgrades sold to dune buggy enthusiasts worked just as well in transporters.
DIY was a given. Doubling the engine displacement, performance camshaft, dual carburetors, free flow exhaust were all routine.
Mine served me well for many years, for very little money (which was all I had at the time).
>Most of all, the old Bus was cheap. That’s part of the reason why hippies drove them.
I guess if you
a) lived in New Mexico (check)
b) had very little money (check)
c) had an outdoor job (check)
d) wore longish hair and a beard in winter, to keep warm (check)
That made you a “hippie,” by some people’s reckoning.
As Jackson Browne once sang, “It’s who you look like, not who you are.”
[FWIW, I have never done any hallucinogenic drugs.]
Jedem das seine, as the saying goes.
When I went to insure my transporter, the insurance agent asked me if it was a “hippie wagon.” I answered that it was a VW pickup, which was accurate. The agent did not ask to see the paint job, which in fact was drab factory gray, with a slight amount of body damage. They wrote the policy, without seeing either me or the vehicle in person.
I imagine if the agent were looking for a “genuine hippie,” or “hippy wagon” (presumably a “psychedelic” paint job) he would have been majorly disappointed, but we’ll never know… 🙂
My political views? Are my own damned business, and none of yours unless I choose to share them with you. Which ain’t likely to happen until, or unless, I get to know you rather well, and that doesn’t happen easily. I definitely fit the German/Dutch stereotype of a “coconut” personality. Few crack the shell.
Who killed Volkswagen? Finian Cunningham fingers a culprit:
‘Historically, the German economy – the biggest in Europe – has been driven by car exports to the rest of the world and in particular those of the Volkswagen group and its ten car brands.
‘A vital part of the German economic success for decades was due to the supply of relatively cheap and abundant energy (gas and oil) from Russia – the world’s biggest supplier of hydrocarbon fuels.
‘Volkswagen bosses had warned two years ago that soaring energy costs were threatening the viability of their industry. And thereby, the viability of the entire German economy.
‘That warning in November 2022 came only weeks after the U.S. covertly blew up the Nord Stream gas pipelines under the Baltic Sea, thus severing Germany and the European Union from Russian energy supply.
‘It couldn’t be more tragic and farcical. The United States promotes itself as a “protector” of Europe when in reality it is nothing but a huge parasite living off European largesse and the foolishness of European governments serving as lapdogs for Uncle Sam.’
https://tinyurl.com/3mkf8wh7
I shouted out, Who killed the Kennedys?
Well, after all, it was you and me
— Rolling Stones, Sympathy for the Devil
Hmmm. Was the destruction of Nord Stream an act of industrial sabotage intended to eliminate market competition?
It’s no surprise that the German sitzpinkler cucks just went along with this act of war, but the proper response would have been middle fingers up, eviction of foreign troops from German soil and a swift exit from NATO and the EU. It might have been painful in the short run, but a little exercise of sovereignty would have gone a long way.
A cursory review of South Carolina’s H 3604 ‘Scout Motors’ bill shows that its $1.29 billion price tag covers site improvements and infrastructure: (1) a bridge to support rail spur construction; (2) land acquisition; (3) required site improvements and mitigation; (4) road access and improvements; (5) soil stabilization; (6) training center; (7) water and wastewater infrastructure.
Moreover, almost half the funding ($586 million) comes from leftover American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 funds from the US fedgov.
Point being, the capital cost for the immense factory building and its equipment — at least $700 million — is all on Volkswagen. Which is why the struggling German behemoth is going to have to shed that load.
It’s alright if you build it
It’s alright if you don’t
Break down, go ahead admit it to me
Break down, it’s alriiiiiight
— Tom Petty, Breakdown
>behemoth
Be he moth, or be he Mothra.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wr8GKEqA4kU
EeeVee skeptic Toyota sounds the death knell for Scout:
‘Toyota “plans to significantly slow its production of electric vehicles,” Nikkei Asia reports, stating it’ll cut global output for 2026 to just 1 million cars. Despite its new 2026 forecast marking a significant rise in EV sales, production will slow compared to earlier plans.
‘Last May, Toyota announced a goal to sell 1.5 million EVs by 2026, intending to use the figure as a benchmark to strengthen its supply chain for batteries and other components.
‘Other automakers are also adjusting their EV strategies. Volkswagen is considering closing a German factory, General Motors has delayed production of large EVs by two years, and Ford halted the development of large electric SUVs. Volvo scrapped its goal to be an all-EV maker by 2030.’ — ZeroHedge
https://tinyurl.com/428xa5ud
EeeVee Fever was a replay of the Beanie Baby collectible stuffed toy fad of the 1990s. But this time, idiot governments subsidized Beanie Baby [EeeVee] factories, and even the suppliers of fake fur and stuffing [batteries].
OF COURSE the bottom dropped out, as Big Gov continued flooding the market with EeeVees long after the hype evaporated, and Cinderella’s magnificent EeeVee limousine turned back into a pumpkin pulled by ridiculous mice at the stroke of midnight.
Clusterf*ck, comrades: it’s what Big Gov does best. And by the way, Toyota is going to cut that 1 million EeeVee projection again next year.
Scout will reveal its first models on 24th October! So reports Yahoo Autos. Check out the renderings at the top of the article:
https://autos.yahoo.com/vw-backed-scout-brand-unveil-090814787.html
I hate to be the little boy pointing out that the emperor has no clothes. But these designs share the same Tonka Toy big wheels aesthetic that appeals to 8-year-old boys everywhere. I know I would have bought one (1:25 scale).
It’s not that different than the competing Bronco, either. Which raises a more existential question: given the heavy hand of Big Gov in defining just a few allowable envelopes (sedan, crossover, SUV, pickup) and their design constraints, is it even possible to offer a vehicle with the distinct personality of the VW Bug or Microbus? I DOUBT IT.
If I owned VW, I’d probably just liquidate it. But VW being a ‘state champion’ industry in the socialist Old World, hapless German taxpayers will keep it muddling along, no matter how much it loses. The Peoples Car has morphed into the Peoples Boat Anchor … to the point that hard-pressed Germans can’t even afford to subsidize the Ukies anymore. 🙁
Yes, “It’s not that different than the competing Bronco, either.” Or, the Toyota Land Cruiser or, Lexus GX550… Zero originality.
Man, now I got that Ticky-Tacky song in my head.
‘Malvina Reynolds – Little Boxes (Weeds Theme Song) Full Version with Lyrics’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUoXtddNPAM
“But these designs share the same Tonka Toy big wheels aesthetic that appeals to 8-year-old boys everywhere.”
That is exactly what I thought, Jim! Where are the lines, the dips, and the bends to actually show an auto body with some structure and a little pizazz?
We see VW will share the same disastrous ending as the Titanic. At the point they have hit the iceberg. My only question is what becomes of Audi and Lambo? Hopefully, VW spins them off to a better company…except there are none left.
My only question is what becomes of Audi and Lambo?
Oh, that’s a given – they will be taken over by the Chinese. The only question is which Chinese company (or companies)…
That would break my heart.
‘Where are the lines, the dips, and the bends to actually show an auto body with some structure and a little pizazz?’ — Raider Girl
From the classic cars of the late 1930s with their pontoon fenders, on through the sports cars and muscle cars of the mid to late 20th century, designers incorporated dramatic anthropomorphic flares at the front and rear wheels, with a ‘waist’ in between. ‘The ratio,’ so to speak, with a definite distaff vibe.
Flat-footed concepts such as the Scout renderings reflect a low-effort, Soviet-brutalist approach to automotive design. A high-school kid with such a sorry portfolio would never make it into ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, which used to be the dream pick of any adolescent car buff who wanted to actually sculpt clay with his/her bare hands.
VW has totally lost the plot. If this crap is the best that grads of Germany’s auto design school, Pforzheim University, can do … it’s ovahhhhh!
Given that adults today are playing with lego sets and action figures…. might as well make the cars look like a Tonka truck. Only makes sense
Eric’s point that a $50,000 price point is high for a non-luxury brand is well taken. But moreover, during the great covid inflation of 2021-2022, several examples occurred of new EeeVee models exceeding their projected price points by $10,000 or more. (I’m lookin’ at you, Lightning Jim Farley.)
VW has no firm handle on the Scout’s retail price in 2026. The orange-maned Tariff King could easily crank steel, aluminum and other basic material prices by 50 percent or more. For planning purposes, I assume $60,000 for base model with more capacity than a watch battery.
But at a deeper level, all this could be a fantasy. Germany’s Lower Saxony state, a minority owner of VW, has made clear that German jobs must be protected. This means that foreign projects, like the megalomaniacal Scout Motors plant (200,000 units per year!) get the ax.
I can’t be arsed to dig out the bill signed by SC Gov Henry ‘RINO’ McMaster on March 20th. But an enterprising investigator could analyze the funding split between the state and Scout Motors during the pharaonic construction project. VW surely has skin in the game, and its cost share will determine how much cash flow pain it is feeling. VW’s annual report likely mentions the Scout project as well under capital expenditures.
Not having done all the homework on publicly available info, I still boldly project that VW will pull the plug on Scout Motors in the next 6-12 months, as Germany slides deeper into economic malaise, and America’s own recession begins to bite.
You passed a lot of UPS trucks on your drive/talk I see.
The message the State is sending is “TAKE THE BUS” as you will not be able to afford your own car. Bastards.
^^^This^^^