http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAcyU0Q5QnU
Cool 411 Commercial
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vonkr
- Posts: 127
- Joined: Sun Aug 21, 2005 12:43 pm
Is that an original commercial for the american market? Because they speak about original automatic gearbox. I had some discussions earlier on the standard automatic gearbox, and now I think that was only for the american (and other?) market, not for europe.-
wildthings
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can86
- Posts: 87
- Joined: Wed Sep 01, 2004 1:34 pm
I assume that's original...sure looks it
I agree with VW misreading the American market, but i don't think it's being marketed as a "toy." They just stress the size and easability of the vehicle, while using a popular movie. Kinda funny how VW used the latest King Kong movie to advertise the Tourag as well. From a marketing standpoint, i think its pretty good...
I agree with VW misreading the American market, but i don't think it's being marketed as a "toy." They just stress the size and easability of the vehicle, while using a popular movie. Kinda funny how VW used the latest King Kong movie to advertise the Tourag as well. From a marketing standpoint, i think its pretty good...
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raygreenwood
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It was never VW (of Germany) that treated the VW like as a toy. But it was VW of America that did for a while. Especilly in the late 50's and 60's. In Heinz Nordoffs book small wonder, he notes that some of the first American dealers actually were dealing several makes. They would actually have a package deal for Lincolns and Cadillacs...wherin you buy the totally loaded caddy and get a VW bug for free.....as a grocery getter. This did not last long when VW found out, but the damage was done.
The real mis-reading of America (for VW).....came in the form of mis-reading "taste".
In the early 70's...few people ....of the ones I have actually talked to that went to a dealer and bought a 411/412 "new".......didn't buy it because of styling or comfort. It was too "alien" for american eyes and it was still too under-powered for American right feet....though it was a wonderful car.
Most people bought them because they either wanted the quality that VW represented (because they already had owned a VW bug).....and they needed a larger car. Or they bought them because it was an ACVW....but very up to date. The type 4 did get rid of almost all of the pet peeves of bugs......much more comfy seats, real heat and AC, lots of room, better handling and ride, an automatic and more power (slightly).
The problems were mainly in the tuning of the injection of the car on this continent....and the coupling of the automatic tranny to it.
Americans were accustomed to automatics. But driving an automatic in "detroit" terminology in 1970-1974...meant punch it and go.
The auto-box on the 411/412...while a good unit....suffered from heat and age related seal failure in warm climates...and the engine (because of the D-jet) suffered a never ending state of needing to be tuned.
I can't tell you....how many 411's and 412's.....there were sitting in the junkyards while I was in high school (I drove a 411 four door as my first car)....that had nary a scratch. They were complete. Complete with a burned up engine and smoked tranny. Rows of them! Brings a tear to teh eye.
They cars were advertized wrong...as you can see here in that cool ad. The people who bought these cars thought that VW had finally stepped away from that finicky, maintenance intensive....but drives forever lovable style car (the bug). Most 411/412 buyers were older 2nd time vw owners who had left the bug in their past because they no longer had the time in their life to have to pop out the muir book and give it TLC. Many people I have talked to.....believed that in the 411/412...they finally had a cool up to date ACVW...with the potential reliability of a detroit lead sled.
And...when treated that way.....they ended up in the junkyard with 55K miles on them and too much to replace to be worth saving for the people who bought them. Sadly misunderstood car.
These were not cheap cars. The price tag on my two door was like...$4700 including shipping in 1973. A caddy was going for about $4200. Ray
The real mis-reading of America (for VW).....came in the form of mis-reading "taste".
In the early 70's...few people ....of the ones I have actually talked to that went to a dealer and bought a 411/412 "new".......didn't buy it because of styling or comfort. It was too "alien" for american eyes and it was still too under-powered for American right feet....though it was a wonderful car.
Most people bought them because they either wanted the quality that VW represented (because they already had owned a VW bug).....and they needed a larger car. Or they bought them because it was an ACVW....but very up to date. The type 4 did get rid of almost all of the pet peeves of bugs......much more comfy seats, real heat and AC, lots of room, better handling and ride, an automatic and more power (slightly).
The problems were mainly in the tuning of the injection of the car on this continent....and the coupling of the automatic tranny to it.
Americans were accustomed to automatics. But driving an automatic in "detroit" terminology in 1970-1974...meant punch it and go.
The auto-box on the 411/412...while a good unit....suffered from heat and age related seal failure in warm climates...and the engine (because of the D-jet) suffered a never ending state of needing to be tuned.
I can't tell you....how many 411's and 412's.....there were sitting in the junkyards while I was in high school (I drove a 411 four door as my first car)....that had nary a scratch. They were complete. Complete with a burned up engine and smoked tranny. Rows of them! Brings a tear to teh eye.
They cars were advertized wrong...as you can see here in that cool ad. The people who bought these cars thought that VW had finally stepped away from that finicky, maintenance intensive....but drives forever lovable style car (the bug). Most 411/412 buyers were older 2nd time vw owners who had left the bug in their past because they no longer had the time in their life to have to pop out the muir book and give it TLC. Many people I have talked to.....believed that in the 411/412...they finally had a cool up to date ACVW...with the potential reliability of a detroit lead sled.
And...when treated that way.....they ended up in the junkyard with 55K miles on them and too much to replace to be worth saving for the people who bought them. Sadly misunderstood car.
These were not cheap cars. The price tag on my two door was like...$4700 including shipping in 1973. A caddy was going for about $4200. Ray
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wildthings
- Posts: 1171
- Joined: Thu Jun 03, 2004 12:42 am
I am talking about VW advertizing in general, not just the T4. In particular look at The Thing. Elsewhere it was sold as a Kubelwagen, Safari, and I think some other names which I no longer remember. When I first encountered them in Mexico they were a well respected vehicle for farm and other rural use. In the USA they were called by the supidest of all names and advertized as some form of toy that for some reason you might want to disassemble in the parking lot. If they had been advertized right they would have given Scouts and Jeeps a run for their money.
The bus was poorly advertized here too. They were one of the best selling vehicles world wide for decades, an all purpose utility vehicles ready for anything you could throw their way. Here in the USA they were hippie vans even before there were hippies. I ran a construction business out of one for a decade and whenever I would pull into an unfamiliar lumberyard the yardmen would all but refuse to load it. Yet it could haul 16 foot boards as well as a full size pickup and the low load height made loading heavy bags concrete a breeze. Plus on Fridays it only took a few minutes to put the seats back in and I could take the family whereever I wanted.
VWoA just totally misunderstood the American market, why else would they not give a 4sp option in the T4. The American driver never demanded an automatic, they were just forced into buying them on American land yatchts because of a lack of any viable option. If you weren't willing to pay the extra for the auto you were likely stuck with a three on the tree that would probable get stuck between gears while driving around the block on a test drive. Anyone who wanted a usable American car had to buy the auto box.
If you had never driven a bug you could be forgiven for thinking that they were a bore to drive, but by '67 when VW upped the engine to a 1500 they were as much fun to drive as anything on the American road. Just plain gear jambing fun on a curvy mountain road. No VW ad ever even slightly convinced me that they were worth driving, it took friends' Bugs to do that.
Size was another losing point for the Bug and other air cooled VW's. The bug had more head room and shoulder room than many full size cars of its day and the leg room wasn't bad either, yet VW never came close to capitalizing on the driver comforts of their cars. I don't remember that Ford made any car during the late sixties that a 6 footer could fit comfortably in, but their and VW's (lack of) advertizing let them get away with it. For myself comfort and roominess are two of the main reasons I have owned vans over the years, but I have had many strangers question how I, being tall, could stand to drive one at all, and they are always amazed at how much I can haul in relation to their mini-vans.
The bus was poorly advertized here too. They were one of the best selling vehicles world wide for decades, an all purpose utility vehicles ready for anything you could throw their way. Here in the USA they were hippie vans even before there were hippies. I ran a construction business out of one for a decade and whenever I would pull into an unfamiliar lumberyard the yardmen would all but refuse to load it. Yet it could haul 16 foot boards as well as a full size pickup and the low load height made loading heavy bags concrete a breeze. Plus on Fridays it only took a few minutes to put the seats back in and I could take the family whereever I wanted.
VWoA just totally misunderstood the American market, why else would they not give a 4sp option in the T4. The American driver never demanded an automatic, they were just forced into buying them on American land yatchts because of a lack of any viable option. If you weren't willing to pay the extra for the auto you were likely stuck with a three on the tree that would probable get stuck between gears while driving around the block on a test drive. Anyone who wanted a usable American car had to buy the auto box.
If you had never driven a bug you could be forgiven for thinking that they were a bore to drive, but by '67 when VW upped the engine to a 1500 they were as much fun to drive as anything on the American road. Just plain gear jambing fun on a curvy mountain road. No VW ad ever even slightly convinced me that they were worth driving, it took friends' Bugs to do that.
Size was another losing point for the Bug and other air cooled VW's. The bug had more head room and shoulder room than many full size cars of its day and the leg room wasn't bad either, yet VW never came close to capitalizing on the driver comforts of their cars. I don't remember that Ford made any car during the late sixties that a 6 footer could fit comfortably in, but their and VW's (lack of) advertizing let them get away with it. For myself comfort and roominess are two of the main reasons I have owned vans over the years, but I have had many strangers question how I, being tall, could stand to drive one at all, and they are always amazed at how much I can haul in relation to their mini-vans.
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raygreenwood
- Posts: 11912
- Joined: Wed Jan 22, 2003 12:01 am