In November 2007, VeeDub head honcho Martin Winterkorn announced his version of the Schlieffen Plan. Dubbed “Strategie 2018,” Winterkorn plotted the overthrow of GM and Toyota from the top of the worldwide sales charts. Winterkorn called for VW to rule the world in sales, profits, innovation and customer satisfaction by 2018. When the plan was announced, the MSM feted it, insiders (this reporter included) rolled their eyes and denounced the announcement as the usual hubris of an incoming CEO, a suit who’d be busy collecting his pension by the time 2018 rolled around. In any case, by 2018, the Generalstabsplan would long be forgotten and superseded by at least five other grand strategies.
A month ago, the worker’s council at Volkswagen said that the plan has merit. “All at Volkswagen agree that the targets of Strategie 2018 haven’t changed and that we will reach them,” said workers council chief Bernd Osterloh. That story didn’t get much traction. The few who read it sighed. Through plain dumb luck and the incompetence of others, VW may be closer to “mission accomplished” than anybody dared to think.
It’s a done deal: VW will surpass GM in sales this year to become world number two, behind Toyota. Now, Reuters reports that “Volkswagen AG may have overtaken Toyota Motor Co to become the world’s top-selling carmaker in the first quarter, thanks to government incentives that fueled demand in VW’s major markets.”
VW’s overall deliveries to customers worldwide fell 11 percent to around 1.39m vehicles in Q1. Others fell faster and harder, enabling VW to increase its share of the global passenger car market by 130 basis points to 11.0 percent.
“Toyota has given no forecast for retail sales, but its latest estimate for shipments for the 2009 first quarter is 1.23m vehicles, down 47 percent from a year earlier,” Reuters says.
“Volkswagen has the luck of being strong in the markets that are currently growing, while Toyota is exposed to those that are collapsing,” says motor mouth Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer in a rare case of seeing the obvious. VW’s failure to get anywhere in the toxic US market is now its savior. Where you have no significant sales, you cannot have significant losses.
Volkswagen has a very strong position in the world’s only significant growth market, China. In the PRC, VW surpassed the 1m mark last year. It produced more cars in China than Germany. Toyota has seen sales fall every month of this year in China, its third-biggest market. Volkswagen is benefiting from government stimulus plans for the car industry that have boosted demand in Germany, China and Brazil, its three biggest markets that together accounted for half of all group sales in the first quarter.
While VW is lucky to be in the right place at the right time, Toyota definitely finds itself in the wrong places at the wrong time: Toyota’s first-quarter US sales fell 36 percent, while sales in Japan for the core Toyota brand plummeted 31 percent. The two markets account for just under half of its global sales.
Volkswagen China’s Winfried Vahland quickly positioned himself as the top general in Volkswagen’s audacious plan to subjugate Toyota. “We have launched Strategy 2018 in line with the long-term objectives of the Volkswagen Group in China,” Vahland said to China Daily. Note the “We have launched.” Vahland said he would increase annual vehicles sales in China from the current 1 to 2 million units as well as enlarging its fleet by least four models per year by 2018.
The former controller, Vahland, had an uneventful career at VW and his dispatch to Beijing as head of the Volkswagen Group in Beijing was widely seen as a promotion to Volkswagen’s Siberia. The real power centers of VW China are at SAIC in Shanghai and FAW in Changchun. Now, Vahland basks in the limelight of being the frontline general of Volkswagen’s attack on a weakened Japan.
In Germany, VW benefited from the Abwrackprämien boom. Deliveries rose 4.5 percent to about 251,500 vehicles during the quarter. More than 160,000 new orders were booked as owners turn in their clunkers for a new one and €2.5K from the government.
Even in cratering Russia VW grows. Despite a 39 percent contraction in overall Russian demand, Volkswagen grew its volume by 14 percent, making VW the fourth-largest manufacturer in the country.
NPR can’t believe their ears: “Come on? Volkswagen? The world’s top selling automaker? That sounds impossible. Last year, Toyota crushed VW, selling almost three million more cars and trucks. But in the first quarter, Volkswagen sold more vehicles than Toyota even estimates it shipped. Analyst John Wolkonowicz at IHS Global Insight calls it a fluke.”
The disturbing news of the arrival of the former axis member at the gates of Aichi, Nagoya, results in grave head-nodding in the land of the rising sun. “Volkswagen is a big competitor for Toyota,” said Koji Endo, auto analyst at Credit Suisse in Tokyo. “Audi is strong, Volkswagen is strong, and they’re making good use of their small cars.”
The stock market greeted the news by lifting VW’s tock price. VW has also moved up in stock value ranking, grabbing the No. 2 spot behind Toyota, whose market capitalization of $133b still outstrips the German carmaker’s $100b. For now.
Very interesting…
Thanks for the 411.
I have noticed lately that VW is also seeking to expand in the American market, because for the past year I have been seeing heavy advertising by VW. I have never seen them advertise like this before.
Please Dear God don’t allow VW to be the last automaker standing.
I can’t see why not this could happen. Or why it would be a bad thing.
And please substitute that Hitler pic, it’s cheap shot…
And please substitute that Hitler pic, it’s cheap shot…
These are rough times. We have to save at all costs. Cheap shots is all we can afford.
Thanks for the article. Very interesting. I just bought a 2009 Jetta TDI and love it. I bought it in April so I did not contribute to VW’s 1st quarter though. :) I agree that the picture is a “cheap shot”.
Bertel – if you are having budget problems with the pictures how about a Sgt Schultz.
Now that makes me think of VW!
No, VW/Audi will not take over the world. Parts & service are expensive, and poor reliability means there are few repeat buyers.
I just find it degrading, that’s all. TTAC isn’t *that* cheap…
And please substitute that Hitler pic, it’s cheap shot…
I likewise find the implication of a connection between Hitler and Volkswagen deeply offensive.
OK allow me to be creeped out for no good reason. I’m a good Jewish boy of WWII vets (D-Day for dad the whole deal).
As soon as the VW Beattle came into this country my weird uncle bought one. My parents thought it odd — the ovens weren’t ven cool yet.
It was 1984 before my dad bought a German car. heck today I can get married in Germany but not here. And they do ok with civil rights but THAT SAID it still creeps me out.
What GS650G said, a million times over.
Yeah, yeah, I know the Hitler connection, the peoples car, the slave labour, and the vast amount of money VW had to pay after the war, to cover its shady past. But that was a long time ago. It’s such an old joke it isn’t funny anymore, to connect modern day VW with Hitler for an easy laugh. It’s cheap, it’s degrading, and it hasn’t any bearing today. In short, it’s an old joke. If you are trying to be funny, then try harder…
Truly amazing that VW can manage to become #2 or (in some places) #1.
Their design and performance are appealing; it’s a pity ownership often tarnishes the joy.
Are VW Dealers outside the USA a different breed altogether? VW network here seems spotty at best.
Meanwhile VW USA contemplates an ‘R’ version of the Tiguan. Why? Are they trying to emulate the Subaru XTI concept or something?
Shouldn’t VW just bring the Sirocco over here and let the enthusiasts wanting it bad enough to pay for the privilege?
I know the Hitler connection, the peoples car, the slave labour, and the vast amount of money VW had to pay after the war, to cover its shady past
In this case, I believe that the intent of the photo was to riff off of the reference to the Schlieffen Plan, which involved getting around a huge hurdle to conquer a lot of ground and to do it quickly. That plan didn’t work.
When VW announced this grand plan, its ambitions seemed to be a bit lofty. (OK, so they seemed like completely BS.) Now, within a short time, it looks as if VW may actually succeed with it. Herr Schmitt seems surprised, and frankly, so am I.
If for no other reason, it takes focus from the topic at hand… Call it the heebcake syndrome…
This is very interesting to me. How can VW have such widely varying results between the US and the rest of the world? My first new car was an 85 GTI. By the end of its 2 yr unlimited mileage warranty, I had amassed a folder 1/4 inch thick. Fuel injection, water leaks, rattles. None of the issues were a simple once and done, all were nagging problems that apparently were beyond solving. I will confess, though, that I loved the driving experience. Farfegnuegen, and all that. Anyhow, I sold the car and bought a 21 yr old 66 Plymouth Fury which was one of my most trouble-free cars ever for the next 4 yrs. But I digress.
Here in the US, VW rides this roller-coaster of product appeal. Popular late 70s-early 80s, nearly disappear into the mid 90s, popular again late 90s, fall off again, and now seem to be growing again. All the while, I hear nothing but bad from owners and mechanics about virtually every model going back to the original Rabbit, excepting the diesels. I mean Chrysler-level bad. Everyone I have ever known who owned an Audi told horror stories about maintenance costs as the cars aged. Plus they have been overpriced the whole time. And then, they do something supremely stupid like the Routan.
So what is it? Are they popular all over the rest of the world because all the competition is worse? Can’t be, because Toyota IS the competition, for the most part. Maybe we in the USA are spoiled by the history of durability of local iron thru the 60s and 70s, later improved by Toyonda and their ilk. I just don’t get it.
Yes, pch101, the analogy with the Schlieffen plan is a valid point, I am not subjecting to that. I just find it disturbing to see a piece about VW taking over the world, hand in hand with a rabid Hitler-pic.
Hey, the photo works well for this article.
When I was in fourth grade, we had a Shoebox Diorama assignment. We had to read a biography, then make a shoebox diorama of a scene from the biographical person’s life.
I chose Hitler.
My Bunker Diorama wasn’t very advanced, I just cut most of the shoebox lid out, and glued tissue-paper over it for a light source/diffusion, and cut out a peeper-hole at one of the long ends. I then cut out paper silhouettes of soldiers, carefully glued them all around the “walls.” Pasted another construction paper cut-out person splayed on the floor with brains blown out and gun in hand. Lastly, for historical accuracy I cut up a straw into sections, as well as lengthwise, and rolled and taped them to make lit cigarettes for the silhouette soldiers standing around the body (as the biography said the soldiers lit up after Hitler blew his brains out, as he wouldn’t allow any smoking around him).
It was a more innocent time, as nowadays any kid that did anything like that for a school project would be sent for psychological evaluation or counseling or stupid b.s.
The Hitler pic is perfectly appropriate.
I believe VW can roll over the weak and impotent car markets of Europe, and I believe they can increase their state-sponsored presence in China. But I won’t be truly impressed until they get 6 or 7 percent -as opposed to 2% – of the US market.
Americans have different ideas about reliability – it’s a reality based concept.
A few random VW thoughts:
1) VW is very big in China. A lot of Jettas (the newer iteration they call Sagitar in order to distinguish it from taxis), Passats, and many Audis–even a few Bentley’s in Shenzhen.
2) My ‘06 Jetta’s starter failed at 17K last week. It’s under warranty, but cannot be fixed until next week (more parts are needed from California–don’t ask). I was given a Mazda 626 with 20K as a loaner. VW reliability is what it is, but after driving the Mazda, I now know why I drive VW.
3) After the 60 minutes hit piece, you couldn’t pay anyone to own an Audi. Now, at least in my area (Central Florida) it seems every other luxo brand is an Audi. A remarkable comeback, given the circumstances.
4) At the dealer yesterday (picking up my…ugh…Mazda) I saw VW running a BIG SALE. It’s kind of shocking to think what the “People’s Car” has become. A VR6 Passat that ‘listed’ for 42K was now going for 32 large. Is this a bargain? A 52K Touareg “marked down” to 42. You get the picture. At the same time, I see many Passats, Jetti, and Golfs (the various species) along with the larger SUV around town.
5) At the dealer, I noticed they’d shuffled Ms. Shields off into a corner, somewhere. I think they wish she’d go have her kids somewhere else. I’ve never seen a Routan on the highway, and hope I never do.
6) The Jetta Diesel is receiving good reviews. I wish mine was a diesel. On a recent trip, I noticed many stations where D-oil was actually cheaper than high test.
7) Sebring ‘09. Let’s see what happens in France, this summer.
8) If VW can increase reliability, it’s a no brainer. But, then again, when was the last time anyone ever gave props to BMW, or Merc, for being inexpensive to own, and for great reliability?
In the USA the reliability, according to Consumer Reports, varies by model. For example, the Jetta is average, the Rabbit is better than average and the Passat is worse than average. I’m in Ireland quite often and I understand that VW has a good reputation there for reliability.
“Maybe we in the USA are spoiled by the history of durability of local iron thru the 60s and 70s”
You must have lived through a different era in a different country that I did.
Bertel,
Would you please write a brief article above …on the total and complete takeover of GM by Obama? And would you please post a good sized photo of said Prez?
The similarities between the individual El Hefe’s-in-charge would not go unnoticed.
Thanks- God Bless Amerika.
Seig Heil!!
Dear VW
improvement_needed :
April 18th, 2009 at 9:36 am
Very interesting…
Thanks for the 411.
and also the 412
I’m glad to see that picture. It settles the long, acrimonious debate as to where Hitler stood with respect to the political spectrum. The photo makes it clear he was directing Germans to go leftward.
But seriously, I too would like to see the Nazi references scaled back. When I was in grad school some of the chowderhead students went around nonsensically labeling anything that displeased them as “fascist this” and “fascist that.” Maybe if they’d seen Downfall (and not just the parody clips on YouTube) they would have realized what was thoroughly evil about the Third Reich and why WW 2 was a Good War.
There is no such thing as a “good” war. Have you read about the firebombing of Dresden?…a non-military (ie, civilian) target?
War is disgusting…each and every last one.
If you’d like some more information re. the financing of both sides of wars, take a read…the gentlemen who wrote this book was kind enough to post it online. However, if you are inclined, you can buy it on Amazon too.
http://reformed-theology.org/html/books/wall_street/
Here’s a hint…the only people who can say war is “good” are the bankers…as they finance both sides (regardless of laws on the book preventing this).
http://www.lexrex.com/enlightened/articles/warisaracket.htm
Ingvar said:
“If for no other reason, it takes focus from the topic at hand… Call it the heebcake syndrome…”
For one complaining about having sensibilities offended, this statement is quite hypocritical, wouldn’t you say?
On topic, VW stated goals sound eerily similar to blustery statements from Nardelli/Red Ink Rick/Baghdad Bob regarding how well everything was/is going for their respective organizations… and it’s just as believable.
Don’t discount the potential of VW. It took Hyundai roughly a decade to climb from being the Asian anwser to Yugo to making competing with Toyonda.
If they fixed some of the know flaws with the products and distribution they could realistically get to 5-8%+ of the US market. They just need to improve the dealership experience and reduce the exorbitant costs of parts.
No, VW/Audi will not take over the world. Parts & service are expensive, and poor reliability means there are few repeat buyers.
VW has been saying “this will all change” for the llast ten years and, here we are and VW hasn’t changed on iota. These cars look great on paper…then they’re driven for 10K miles and everybody realizes why VW doesn’t sell for crap here in the states. I’d buy a Chrysler before I’d buy a VW. Take over the world in 9 years, yeah, right.
To be completely honest, when I heard about VW trying to be the world’s top automaker, I scoffed, too. But the more I see, the more I’m convinced they can do it.
What puzzles me is why they are able to do this.
Their cars aren’t that reliable, far more expensive and their dealer network is woeful.
If you want a car that’s frugal, reliable and cheaper, you go to Toyota.
If you want a car with good driving dynamics and good handling you go straight to Ford/Mazda.
If you have a family and care about safety in your car, then Renault are the queens of safe cars (Sorry, Volvo lost that title a long time ago).
If you want a car that’s sporty, flash and enough to see you through your mid life crisis, then Jaguar, BMW and Mercedes-Benz have plenty of offerings.
So what can VW offer that the competition can’t?
Bertel Schmitt :
April 18th, 2009 at 9:58 am
And please substitute that Hitler pic, it’s cheap shot…
These are rough times. We have to save at all costs. Cheap shots is all we can afford.
Who says the Germans don’t have a sense of humour….? :O)
First about the picture… it is just funny. So stop bitching. I’m German (in WI now) and just play along with all the Gestapo, David Hasselhoff and all other jokes. Life is what you make of it… Please keep the pictures as funny as you do.. I have enough of that political correctness BS all day anywhere else.
I Europe VW has a good reputation. There they have better interior, better engines. Reliability is so so .. at least better than here. At least they are known there for longevity.
Coming to the US I test drove a Golf. First the dealer is a smiry guy trying to sell me all kind of DuPont paint protection, lying about the place of production (like I can’t read the label under the hood) and the interior just made me barth. I went with the Mazda 3 hatch (which is here what VW stands for in Germany, jut more reliable). I’m really not sure why VW can’t have a good strategy and Americanizes the cars they sell here. People that buy VW DON’T want an American car. So why do you equip it with un-european engines, cheap interior, make the rear blinkers red?
My father in law had a new 2005 Jetta. Over the 2.5 years of ownerhsip 10+ trips to the dealer that kept the car there for more than 2 days (obviously their shops employ morons). One time it even stopped driving on me when I had borrowed his Jetta. We now have 2 Mazdas and no dealer experience beyond oil changes. Hmmm.. when I buy my next car, which brand would I consider again?
They can take over the world, as long as they keep some other brands alive for me to drive.
The driving experience with a VW is really good.. too sad you mostly drive it on a tow-truck or to the shop.
(and I’m German, so it is politically correct to smash a German brand :-)
It took Hyundai roughly a decade to climb from being the Asian anwser to Yugo to making competing with Toyonda.
There’s a big difference. After years of floundering, Hyundai finally decided that the US is its most important market, which required a specific effort to design vehicles around American demands. That means trying to match Toyota quality, which is the benchmark.
For the most part, the Europeans have exported versions of cars that they make for their own market. Except for a few specific vehicles, the US is gravy, not so much the focus of their business. They have made very little effort to design with the US customer primarily in mind.
European consumers are more interested in perceived quality and the driving experience, and less interested in mechanical reliability. Since the cars are made mostly for them, you buy the same priorities when you buy a European car.
I wouldn’t expect that to change anytime soon. A bit like GM, they are inclined to think that they know better, and that if the consumer doesn’t like it, it’s the consumer who is wrong. I don’t see VW ever regaining that much share in the US, the damage is already done and they have no plan to fix it.
@jkross22: I’m only adjusting to the sense of humour. I thought heebcake was a rather fun play with words, in analogy with cheesecake and beefcake. It’s obviously some sort of cake that distracts from the core topic, wouldn’t you say?
How can VW have such widely varying results between the US and the rest of the world?
Maybe made in Mexico Volkswagens are not as reliable as made in Germany Volkswagens. I have no data to support that thought. Another factor may be the presence of large numbers of conservatively engineered Japanese brand cars and the absence of most non-luxury European brands in the US market, shifting consumer expectations for reliability.
When buying my 2009 Jetta TDI (my first VW) I went to three dealers and found all of them courteous, low pressure and knowledgeable.
I have not yet had it serviced, but I did talk with the service manager and he was very knowledgeable about the diesel. I owned 1999 and 2001 Audi A4s and the service was excellent from the dealer I bought them from as was the sales experience. So far, I have nothing but good to report about my experiences with the cars and dealers of Volkswagen Corporation. I can not say the same for Acura, BMW and Mercedes Benz where my sales experiences were mixed.
Pch101:
In this case, I believe that the intent of the photo was to riff off of the reference to the Schlieffen Plan, which involved getting around a huge hurdle to conquer a lot of ground and to do it quickly. That plan didn’t work.
Schlieffen was WW1. The photo should be of the Kaiser.
I do get the VW reference, but it is a distraction.
Rastus:
Have you read about the firebombing of Dresden?…a non-military (ie, civilian) target?
The bombing disrupted ‘final solution’ trains and saved their potential victims. Also, the Soviet Army was nearby. They needed a lesson in how their home front would cook if they thought about continuing to the Atlantic.
War is disgusting…each and every last one.
Agreed.
Back on topic: When the US market comes back (with a Government GM and no Chrysler), Toyota should easily best VW.
Mr. Hilter
And please substitute that Hitler pic, it’s cheap shot…
These are rough times. We have to save at all costs. Cheap shots is all we can afford.
Who says the Germans don’t have a sense of humour….? :O)
Lol! Hitler is that unfortunate person that proved to the world that Fascism just doesn’t work. Though democracy is much slower and much more bureaucratic (not to mention wasteful) – it allows for other ideas to be expressed in politics. Another problem with Fascism – absolute power corrupts absolutely. As far as Volkswagen is concerned, it was actually Porsche that created the very first VW – the Beetle. That is why Porsche’s are like super hyper Volkswagen Beetles.
Modern Germany is such a democratic nation – obsessed with democracy it would seem. That and David Hasselhoff lol!! We shall see if modern VW is up to the task of being the largest car company in the world.
Porsche
Congratulations on the choice of photo, Schmitt. You’ve managed to hijack your own thread. Who knew that, at TTAC, poverty extends to sensibility, taste, ethics, and the imagination?
The use of the Hitler picture is disgusting Bertel. You know better. It cheapens TTAC and any valid points you might have.
On the actual topic; VW’s not so far off their goal. For the first half of 2009 they’re expected to overtake both Toyota and GM, thanks in large part to big decreases on Toyota’s part. I’d imagine that, should they manage to pull it off, they won’t let that position go so easily.
Schlieffen was WW1. The photo should be of the Kaiser.
No, that isn’t the gag here. The author was claiming that Winterkorn’s plan appeared to him to be similar to the Schlieffen plan, in that it was destined to fail and create a big mess in the process. Yet in defiance of expectations, it now appears that the VW plan may be working.
The analogy here is that the Manstein Plan, which was used by Hitler to conquer France and Belgium, bore a lot of resemblance to the Schlieffen plan, yet despite the similarities that might have made it seemed destined for failure, that plan worked. So Winterkorn is more like Manstein than Schlieffen, and Manstein is a degree separated from the mean moustache guy.
(Of course, this is also riffing off the recent tendency of some of the posters here to talk about Hitler at every turn, even though this isn’t a WWII discussion site. Kind of a wink and a nod, as it were.)
How can VW have such widely varying results between the US and the rest of the world?
Some of it is due to the fact that Americans tend to drive more. The average German drives about 8,000 miles per year. The average American is driving about 15,000 miles per year.
American drivers are more dependent upon their cars, and any reliability problems inherent to the design are going to show up a lot sooner for those who are driving twice the distance. It’s understandable why reliability would be a higher priority to Americans.
Oh, FFS. So they’re in the right place at the right time, in the middle of the worst global economy in 30 years. Yeah, they’re definitely on track – provided this recession lasts another ten years.
Do we really need analysts to tell us what happens when Depression 2.0 goes away? People start buying Toyotas again. Enjoy the fluke while you can, VW…you’ll be getting crushed again in no time.
Perhaps instead of celebrating how they’re advancing due to global economic chaos, VW might want to work on earning North America’s trust back. At the moment, I’d rather buy a Hyundai than a Volkswagen, since I’m pretty sure it will break less often.
That’s a hell of a stigma to carry in the States…and we won’t be not buying cars forever.
“improvement_needed :
April 18th, 2009 at 9:36 am
Very interesting…
Thanks for the 411.”
You’re probably the first person to thank VW for the 411.
Actually, I would go so far as to say that including Hitler in any serious discussion makes that thread failed by default. Goodwins’ law is there for a reason, it just isn’t a topic worthy of a serious discussion….
That said, I’m glad that people don’t take this business seriously, especially when there isn’t so much other things happening. And it is saturday… Cheers, everybody…
I just noticed….. Hitler looks a lot like Rick Wagoner.
Rastus :
April 18th, 2009 at 11:29 am
Bertel,
Would you please write a brief article above …on the total and complete takeover of GM by Obama? And would you please post a good sized photo of said Prez?
The similarities between the individual El Hefe’s-in-charge would not go unnoticed.
Thanks- God Bless Amerika.
Seig Heil!!
It’s GM asking for the government’s help, and if the government is going to shell out tens of billions of dollars, it has EVERY RIGHT to demand operational changes before it invests a dime.
If GM doesn’t like it, it can go find money elsewhere.
Then we have the Hitler approach, which would be to line up all the GM executives in the boardroom and say “build this or I’m putting a bullet in your head.”
Now, if we want to debate the merits of government bailouts of private corporations, that’s a legit topic. But let’s not go down this “Obama = Hitler” road, shall we?
I’ve found the best way to knock Nazism is to laugh at them.
I’m Jewish and have no problem with this picture.
And if we’re all hypersensitive about companies that were involved in “conquering ze vorld,” be sure to NEVER buy a Mitsubishi or Subaru – both companies were huge war materiel suppliers for the Japanese army and navy, which used them to slaughter untold millions of Chinese citizens, not to mention kill thousands of Americans.
Let’s also not forget that Henry Ford was a rabid anti-Semite who toed the Hitler line on Jews.
Pch 101:
The Manstein Plan, or, Sickle Schnit (sp?) was Schlieffen rotated 180 degrees except for the part about the leisurely drive through the Ardennes. The British and French were Ultra-ready for countering Schlieffen, which is why Sickle Schnit scooped them all up in 10 days of fighting, bagged them at Dunkirk. So, what is the VW big surprise that is going to scoop Toyota ?
Nothing, I suspect.