The VW Santana, thats the VW Dasher to our North American friends, has long been a staple vehicle (and seems like it will be for a few years more) of Chinas taxi drivers, police vehicles, and shifty looking fellows in general government workers. Shanghai VW has surely made a killing over the past few years on this model alone!
Chinese car website, Autohome.com.cn is reporting that Shanghai VW are updating the trusty workhorse Santana for 2007 with an electric gas cap, alloy wheels, electrically controlled wing mirrors, CD/MP3 playing radio and several other items which were originally only optional extras but are now being offered as standard. The base price is a bargain 70,980RMB or $9,160USD.
I wonder how many of these Shanghai VW are selling every year now better, newer models are being sold like the Passat?
Great photo! telltale oil spill on the ground and all. Yes, this one is sure to be around for a long long time. Chinese have a soft spot in their hearts for it, much the same way north Americans had a soft spot for the Beetle. The parts are available, and cheap, so any kid on the block, in the more middle class neighborhoods, can afford one.
Woah - still making these in China?
Actually it was the Quantum here in North America