VW: FINALLY THE PEOPLE’S CAR
Posted by David Holland on October 26, 2011
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Volkswagen is set to become the world’s biggest car maker 4 years ahead of their 2015 target. JD Power report that by the end of this year they will have sold 7.8 million vehicles, jumping from 3rd to 1st (ahead of Toyota and GM) in the car maker league tables.
It would be easy to put this down to a few simple factors: Toyota’s supply-side struggles in a post-earthquake Japan, their extensive product recall that put into question their reputation for technical reliability, and GM’s continued struggle in their domestic and international markets and general financial doom.
However, with VW’s growth being put down to becoming the best-selling manufacturer in China, strong growth in the US and better-than-expected sales in Europe, should we not being praising VW instead?
Could it not be said that this is yet another example of consumers looking for ‘safe’ and ‘reassuring’ purchases when times are tough? With VW comes a strong, reliable and quality-driven brand that represents the best bits of the European automotive industry. This seems particularly relevant in countries where the domestic industry is struggling and producing substandard products.
Long may the reassuring ‘THUD’ of a VW car door closing be heard echoing around the world, and save cheap grey plastic dashboards for the cab ride home on a Saturday night.
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