I saw on the news last night about the new way VW in Australia are. Changing their marketing system. All current agencies are being fazed out and VW Australia are introducing brand specific outlets owned and operated by VW Australia. Hope it works out ok for them.

I missed that. Are there any links for more info?

Several of VW's dealerships in Sydney are currentrly owned by the large UK conglomerate Inchcape, who used to be the Australian VW importers. Inchcape own Denlo at Parramatta, and Northshore VW (what used to be Chatswood Classic Cars). Barloworld is a South African-owned company. The other VW dealers seem to be multi-brand franchises ('car supermarkets)' that have just taken on VW to gain some extra sales.

VW's Australian dealer chain have been their weak spot since the brand was re-introduced in the early 1990s. It's difficult to feel anything special about being a Volkswagen buyer when the dealer yard is also selling Subarus, Mitsubishis, Holdens and Hyundais. Stories of Australian dealers unable to correctly service modern VWs (especially the DSG) are legion.

Once upon a time, Lanock Motors were 'the Volkswagen people', the state distributor for VW in NSW and the largest VW dealer chain in Australia (10 branches in Sydney, Adelaide and Darwin). But once their delaer yards were shared with Subaru from 1973, and later Fiat, Renault, Daihatsu, Lancia and Ford, that was the end of them. They went out of business in 1991. Victoria had a similar situation with Spencer Motors, and QLD with Annand and Thompson.

The direct VW factory input into the importing/distribution of VWs from 2001, when they created Volkswagen Group Australia, has had a profound effect on local sales - increasing 5-fold from around 10,000 to almost 55,000 last year. VWs had previously been imported by a string of private companies - LNC Industries, Ateco, TKM and Inchcape. Hopefully, with direct factory input into VW's sales and service organisations, that aspect will also improve to the same extent. And there are lots of areas that have not had a VW dealer since the 1970s!

I wonder if you will get a warranty then?

thanks donn
that will make vw even more user friendly

1st of April funny donny hehe

He he

Thanks for the history lesson Phil

Hey Phil, do you have a subscription to the monthly sales figures?

I'd like to know how the sales are going for the twincharge engines and dsg models after the PR disasters of late. And how many sciroccos are sold. Actually I'd like you to convince VWA that it makes sense to bring the manual 3dr polo gti into Australia because it would sell better than a scirocco. Or at least let me go halfway with the BlueGT.

Hi Chris, sorry no I don't. I have the annual sales figures (but not 2013 yet), as they are published in the annual Black and White data book published by Glass's Guide. The next edition will be out in May. Most technical libraries will have copies; I browse it at the State Library in Macquarie St. But these are only 'model' totals, which will show the total number of 'Golfs' or 'Polos' etc. They don't break it down by model variations - not even petrol or diesel.

The orginal figures come from VFACTS, which may or may not have greater detail, but they require a subscription to see in greater detail. I'm not gonna do that.

I don't have 2013 sales figures yet, but I do know that 712 Sciroccos were sold here in 2012. And yes, the updated 2015 Polo GTI will be available in manual.

http://www.caradvice.com.au/267984/2015-volkswagen-polo-gti-will-come-with-a-...