Getting the bugs out : the rise, fall, and comeback of Volkswagen in America / David Kiley.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Kiley, David.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Volkswagen of America, Inc.

Automobile industry and trade--United States.

Automobile industry and trade.

Corporate turnarounds.

Corporations, German.

United States.

Corporations, German--United States.

Corporate turnarounds--United States.

Physical Description:

xvii, 302 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, portraits ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

New York : Wiley, [2002]

Summary:

For almost three decades, Volkswagen's ride has been on a wild track of many ups and downs. In between the heyday of the Beetle's popularity in the 1960s and the unveiling of the New Beetle in the 1990s, the beloved automaker lost its focus and suffered more than its share of near misses and total catastrophes. Poor decisions and banal advertising campaigns seemed to have stalled Volkswagen's growth for good. And yet this remarkable company has found its way back to the top, with the Beetle now a reborn icon in the United States -- and the sales of Volkswagen vehicles roaring toward levels not seen for thirty years.

Getting the Bugs Out is an engaging and informative story of how marketing savvy and advertising brilliance -- combined with nostalgia and a fun-loving spirit -- again won over the hearts (and wallets) of American consumers. Auto industry expert and journalist David Kiley traces Volkswagen's phenomenal turnaround, revealing all the intriguing details surrounding the birth and rise of the company as well as its downward spiral. He presents a treasure trove of VW history, going back to the design of the original Beetle by Ferdinand Porsche and examining the launch in America, which attracted both curiosity seekers and auto enthusiasts with VW's great value and solid performance.

You'll be there to see how the Volkswagen magic and "flower power" charmed the nation, along with the tongue-in-cheek and truthful ads that were so popular customers frequently framed and hung them in their homes. And you'll see how VW eventually began to fall behind in the ranks, with a falling dollar and lack of credible new products in the '70s chipping away at the company's previously unmarrable exterior. Drawing upon his unique access to company insiders, Kiley gives you a fresh look into: The devastating management blunders that led to the failure of cars such as the Rabbit, Thing, Dasher, and Quantum; How serious design flaws, quality issues, and encroaching Japanese competition resulted in the loss of billions of dollars; Why trying to impart the Beetle mystique onto its other vehicles turned consumers away; The notorious series of "Fahrvergnugen" ads.

Kiley captures every suspenseful moment of the struggles behind the scenes to salvage the brand -- and how the birth of fresh, off-beat advertising finally transformed the company. He chronicles the genius behind Volkswagen's remarkable comeback, examining the combination of visionary management, advanced technology, cutting-edge product development, and, of course, the ads that brought out buyers in droves and cemented VW's position as both a leader in marketing strategy and America's top European brand.

A compelling and enlightening account, Getting the Bugs Out has everything for the enthusiastic VW fan or the manager on the hunt for branding insights, wrapped in an innovative and inspiring tale you can take on the road.

Contents:

1 The Unveiling 1

2 Sins of the Fathers 35

3 The Rise 59

4 The Magic 83

5 The Wall 107

6 The German Patient 151

7 The Pitch 179

8 The Recovery 211

9 The Prince 249

10 Curves Ahead 273.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

0471403938

OCLC:

47797485