Jalopnik: 2

Jalopnik's 20 Favorite Classic Volkswagen Commercials

Murilee Martin — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 20:30:00 EDT

The Datsun ads were fun, as were the Toyota ads, but it was Volkswagen that first made an art form out of the automotive television advertisement.

We've picked out 20 of our favorite VW ads from the Classic Ad Watch series for your enjoyment. From the 1950s through the current decade, from the USA, Germany, South Africa, China, Mexico, and Brazil, these ads cover the highlights of the Volkswagen product line in entertaining fashion

1984 Rabbit	1987 GTI	2005 Caddy	Beetle
1984 GTI	1998 Transporter Syncro	1984 Vanagon	1979 Scirocco
1968 Beetle	1979 Rabbit	1972 Beetle	1981 Vanagon
1970 Karmann Ghia	1958 Beetle	1976 Transporter	1958 Transporter
1955 Beetle	1971 Karmann Ghia	1983 Beetle	1966 Fastback

1958 Volkswagen Bus Highboy for $6,500!

Graverobber — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 08:00:00 EDT

You have a high I.Q.. In fact you're so bright women won't even give you the time of day. But all that doesn't mean you can't still ride on a short bus.

Volkswagen has a long, storied history. The child of a madman and a passionate engineering genius, VW began with a single model- the KdF Wagon, intended to be the Germany's Model T. As we all know, from that 22hp seed sprang a multitude of product which spread, kudzu-like, around the globe, and accomplished what the Nazis couldn't: deutschland uber alles. One Volkswagen that has engendered a healthy following among both families and freaks is the Type 2, or Bus. Designed without regard to frontal impact mitigation, crosswind stability or adequate horsepower, the Type 2 first appeared in 1950. Dubbed the Splittie for its two-pane windscreen, it debuted with a 25hp motor and quarter-ton carrying capacity.

Today we have a Nice Price or Crack Pipe Bus that's a little worse for wear, and has been jacked up into nosebleed territory. This '58 Double Door has been raised 3" and is rolling on some big-ass BFG tires. There's no interior, no bumpers, no Flavor Flav VW emblem up front, but it does have a rebuilt 1776cc cranker and a boiled gas tank. Hmm, that sounds like lunch.

While the Bus was adopted as a symbol for the generation of free love in the 1960s, this one does not happen to be free. In fact it is a hippie-unfriendly $6,500. Now, that's not a lot of hash brownies, but this Bus does appear to be a couple of zig zags short of a blunt. And that Highboy mod can only exacerbate the entertaining handling qualities of the old VW, requiring special needs to keep it under control should your travels include roads that are "outside".

A Nice Price VW Bus Highboy? Or is that $6500 so Crack Pipe you'd give it a pass?

You decide!

thesamba.com or go here if the ad gets "jacked up".

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Blue Steel: $2500 Tata Nano May Become Slightly More Pricey

Ben Wojdyla — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 10:00:00 EDT

Ratan Tata wowed the world when he revealed his company's Tata Nano, the miniscule two-cylinder, four-door runabout designed to go to market with an equally tiny $2,500 price tag. Now, due to pressures from rising commodity prices, Tata may be in jeopardy of missing that now famous 1-lakh goal. Steel prices have jumped 30% since the car's initial unveil in January, while the cost of plastics, silicon and fuel oil have risen as well. So what's next for the bottom line?

It's not only a problem for Tata; across the board, material prices are gutting once-profitable programs. Imagine drawing up designs three years ago and projecting material parts budgets (which can often be up to 70% of the part price), only to have the most expensive element of the part jump in price by 40%. That's the kind of thing which blows engineering budgets. Tata is working with its suppliers and partners to determine what the pricing adjustments will look like (when an automaker says that, they mean lower price for them to buy supplies from suppliers, which also means less profit for the supplier), but it's clear they are trying to remain as close as possible to that original $2,500 target.

Jalopnik Snap Judgement: We'll still take three, with the racing stripes, as long as matte-black paint and rear-window shotgun holders are available options. [Automotive News Submission Req.]