The nay-sayers won, the word from Adrian Hallmark is that the phaetons last year is 2006, low volume and need to concentrate the money to the product launches and to market the volume cars are a couple of the many reasons.

So a for a car that made it 3 years here in the US, and to many more abroad.

D

Yes, here is a copy of the message sent to the dealer network.

Modified by PanEuropean at 10:05 AM 11-12-2005

I still think the prices on ebay and other auto sites have it priced way too low. When I decide to let it go, most likely from boredom of having the same car, I will sell it on an individual basis at MY price. It's just too good a car to give away!

I really don't see why we couldn't special order these cars, even at MSRP!

2004 Black/Anthracite with European suspension height, paddle shifters, tinting, keyless start. 2007 MB S600 My band's website: http://www.horndogsband.com/

Too bad the V6 TDI isn't available in the US.

Werner

VW will be contacting current Phaeton owners shortly to advise each of us of this, and to emphasize that they will continue to support out Phaetons.

Ladies and Gentlemen - we now own collectables. I think I am going to buy my lease out when it expires.

Michael

However, I think Michael may have the best answer. I now will drive my truck more than ever.

What month is the end of the 2006 year??

Modified by dcowan699 at 5:04 PM 11-11-2005

2004 Black/Anthracite with European suspension height, paddle shifters, tinting, keyless start. 2007 MB S600 My band's website: http://www.horndogsband.com/

I'm praying for you guys.
Werner

Modified by AusSalzburg at 3:06 PM 11-11-2005

I know this thread will be at the top for a long time


Modified by dcowan699 at 5:12 PM 11-11-2005

2004 Black/Anthracite with European suspension height, paddle shifters, tinting, keyless start. 2007 MB S600 My band's website: http://www.horndogsband.com/

Volkswagen News Blog

Quote, originally posted by TREGinginCO »

That's too bad.... the Phaeton is simply and awesome vehicle that VW (I think) didn't do enough to get North America excited about the vehicle.

Thanks for the kind words RJ. It seems we all lost a champion in Len Hunt...and with him the Phaeton.

~PC

Michael,

I have a non-technical question for the people in Dresden...

Can we order a Phaeton to be delivered to North America through VW Individual in the future (beyond MY2006)??

I figured when I replace a Phaeton, I would prefer to go through VW Individual and pick the exact options I wanted (headrest DVD, stand heater, different wood, maybe refrigerator, inlays/marquetry, etc...)

I guess this is the time to ask... because time is running out on purchasing a new one...

Douglas

P.S. I know that the Flying Spur is very much the same vehicle, but with a supercharger... However, I would rather not spend an extra 80k-100k for the same thing....

If past history is any guide, Model Year 2006 production will continue until week 22 of 2006.

Michael

Modified by PanEuropean at 7:43 PM 11-11-2005

That is something that would be entirely up to VW of North America to decide - Dresden has no say in that type of thing at all, same as they have no say at all in what options have been offered (or not offered) in different markets. The individual importers are the ones who make all those calls.

Michael

May 2006 will be the last month of production for MY 2006, so MY 2007 stats with June 1st.

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Männer haben Garagen, Frauen haben PAX.

Nissan brought back the Z.

VW will bring back the Van, right. It's currenlty sold in Europe, just not in the US. Until the Euro falls more, and VW is selling a lot of cars again, advertise the Phaeton like crazy in the US.

so pleased with my phaeton...hearing mixed reports about whether phaeton will be produced in 2007 and beyond....if not, what kind of support can we expect?

workinghard

Or a used low miles Phaeton in a few years, before the price skyrockets?

I really wish that the dealer I worked for was a Phaeton dealer....everyone thought the car would be a failure, and I must say that I disagreed. I thought it had all the makings of a world beater....but it would appear I was wrong...

R.I.P. Phaeton....

Quote, originally posted by W126C »

I come home from a fun night of bowling with my office staff and family to this. Now I must look at this with a whole new perspective. I knew what I wanted with the Phaeton, black-W12- 4 seater. Could it be that I, as some others, have a collectible? Time will tell. Best we find out the exact number of cars brought to North America, (per year) and the specs to figure out where we stand. I have no idea how many are out there. Do I park it now to keep the mileage down or just enjoy it and drive it? I feel I'm sitting on something rare, though cars are not a good investment. And it was not intended to be an investment. I feel sad about this whole thing but this could be an opportunity if played out right. Maybe I should buy another one for a daily driver. Now that's a plan. Regards, Brent

Brent, just drive the heck out of it and enjoy it. The Phaeton will never be a collectible, at least not anytime soon (40 years from now, who knows?). It's an orphan car, and it's a 4 door sedan - 4 doors are pretty much never collectible, the only exceptions i can think of in the last 40 years (various M5's, MB 300SEL 6.3, 450SEL 6.9, 500E) came from "prestige" marques and were widely acknowledged at the time as the best sedans in the world which the Phaeton, despite opinions here, just isn't (widely acknowledged, that is). Depreciation was already tough - witness reneetregs' purchase yesterday of a 32k mile '04 W12 for $44k, and it's only going to accelerate for an orphan. The market perception problems are going to get worse - now VW won't spend a dollar to market the Phaeton, most dealers will just want the whole experience to go away, and prestige-centric mainstream Euro-luxury customers previously reluctant to "take a chance" and buy one vs. MB/BMW/Audi will be even less likely to stray from the name brands now that the Phaeton experiment (in the US) is officially deemed a "failure".

I think a more appropriate analogy (in a very different price class) would be the Merkur Xr4ti and Scorpio from the mid-80's, very good European Fords (esp. compared to US/Japanese cars of the era) that FoMoCo tried to sell through a resistant and unknowing Lincoln/Mercury dealer network for a few years. The dealers didn't understand them and didn't know how to sell them, and the geriatric L/M customer base was baffled by them. Despite decent reviews they didn't sell well, and they were discontinued due to buyer apathy. Used prices dropped like a rock, and people who "got it" bought great cars for nothing for years.

I'm surprised VW announced this now, this should kill '06 sales. if 2000 '04 Phaetons were sold in the US and around 1000 '05s, with this announcement I'll be shocked if they sell 300 '06s. I'm sorry this has happened, and it doesn't change my view of the car - I just look at it as a huge opportunity, not for a collector's item but to get an incredible daily driver at a foolishly low price (already true of my lease deal). I'm going to watch pricing on '04s in particular; if I can get a reasonable extended warranty from VW I'll happily buy my car off-lease or, more likely, a similar one at a much lower price than my residual, and drive an extraordinary car for years for less than the price of a new Passat.

http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=2290187

Current VAG-COM/VCDS Version: 908.1
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Männer haben Garagen, Frauen haben PAX.