Politics and VW

I’m not a politicize person.
Yet this present political exercise in our country,
got me pondering about the relationship of politics and “the car”

Rewind to the 1930’s….
We all know very well how the Chancellor of Germany then,
was responsible for the birth of the very first Volkswagen,
the epitome of a peoples-car.
Ferdinand Porsche, executed the Fuhrer’s order and
the rest they say is history.
That infamous mix of politics and the automobile,
is a fixture of history and maybe was bound to repeat itself.
A different formula was expected, but nonetheless somehow similar.

Fast forward to 2002….
History has both the leader and “the car”
reunited once again.
For better or for worst, let history be its judge.
Gerhard Shroeder, former Chancelor of Germany made its official car
The Volkswagen Phaeton W12.
Ferdinand Piech , the grandson of Ferdinand Porsche and
(Piech gave us some of the greatest and legendary racing Porsches)
former VW Chairman conceived this as his last big VW encore!
Piech presented this car to Shroeder, and this grand “people’s car”
is now part of history and a defining moment for both of these men.

I got a scale model of this historic Phaeton. Both Piech and
Shroeder are pictured on the background card.




Sometimes I just laugh it off, when people I’ve come to know points
to how the VW groups here are “a politicized bunch”. They are!!!
They should be!!! The car they came to love is a child of politics!
Whether you like it or not, it was an instrument of a German politician.
History has witnessed it! Love it or hate it. Live and let live.
Mexican Latino, Derrick Pacheco, abhor this politics in the VW scene,
and is evangelizing, “taking politics-out” in the “HoodRide” movement.

Last year, Latino Hugo Chavez rode in a VW Beetle in his campaign.
Maybe to impress his affection to the masses,
by way of showing his affinity to the people’s car.
That got me thinking……
Our political leaders should try the mass appeal of riding a VW.
Naah, come to think of it, our politicians have mixed bag mentality.
I know they would want something grand,
while pretending to be modest.
Maybe this one will do the trick…..