VW Lives

Originally published in Car and Driver magazine in May 1968.

VW Lives! First in the hearts of dealers, consumers and countrymen, VW has done it again in the Readers’ Poll. Done it for the sixth straight time, as a matter of fact. “When they reach 2% market penetration, we’ll worry about the foreign cars,” announced a Detroit auto builder 10 years ago. They’re there, sir. As a matter of fact, VW is there—and more—all by itself. And Detroit isn’t doing anything about it, because Detroit can’t do it half so well as VW. Just to make matters worse, VWs are now available with automatic transmissions, semi-automatics and even fuel-injection. Mercy. “Show me a VW dealer who isn’t making money, and I’ll show you a man who should be soprano with the Mafia,” is another deathless quote. Best economy sedan with even more of a lead than last year, who but the Green Bay Packers are going to stop VW? Funny you should mention the Japanese.