The other half of my recent letter:
"Jeremy Hicks, Director
AUDI (UK) Limited,
Yeomans Drive, Blakelands,
Milton Keynes, MK14 5AN
Dear Jeremy Hicks,
BRAND IMAGE:
To quote your good self:
“it's essential for brand promise to be matched by brand delivery”
The Audi brand image in the UK has come a long way since the 1970s. Customers now expect more and there have been several technological advances that have enabled you to stay true to the old advertising slogan “Vorsprung durch Technik” namely galvanized bodywork, TDI engines and Aluminium construction.
ADD LIGHTNESS:
Being an aerospace engineer, commercial pilot and photographer I was very excited when the Aluminium A2 was introduced as the first true 21st Century small car. However, the old adage,( oft attributed to Lotus’ Colin Chapman but conceived by Sir Geoffrey DeHavilland the designer of the Mosquito and later the world’s first Jet Airliner the Comet) “ Add Lightness” appears to have fallen on deaf ears when it comes to today’s production cars. The more weight, the more energy and the higher the emissions and fuel consumption.
The EU is now taking the car makers to task over the voluntary 140g/km CO2 average for EU produced vehicles. Today’s Audi range has fallen into the trap of more is more. It reminds me of the documentary “Super-size me!” - a reflection on our culture perhaps.
The A2 went against all that and through poor marketing and high pricing did not sell as well as it should have done. Dr Winterkorn’s decision to curtail production in 2005 and concentrate on Q7, R8 new A4 and now A5 cars is partly to blame. Meanwhile, Toyota with their Prius cleverly using Hollywood endorsements (“never mind my 3 Hummers dear I am ECO friendly now!”) are having the last laugh.
In this age of “Live Earth” concerts and “Saving Planet Earth” TV shows, why on earth the Audi A2 1.2 TDI was never sold in the UK is baffling. The Govt’s Powershift scheme earlier this century could have been utilised to offset the high production costs of a RHD model.
I have had my German import here since November 2002. It replaced a Toyota MR2. Through the A2 Owners Club (
www.A2OC.net) I have helped several others import the model into the UK (featured by Audi Driver 2006). It is a joy to drive, more spacious than a Golf and returns an average 103 mpg in rush hour traffic from Grantham to Nottingham. Now with ZERO Road Tax (81 to 86 g/km CO2). After considerable negotiation it is now on the ABI database which means folk can insure one with almost any UK broker. I have even had messages left on the car asking to buy it several times. People ask me at petrol stations about the MPG & low emissions.
The MINI has done what the A2 should have done sales wise and yet it is a much heavier and less ECO & space efficient car. Indeed the original 1.6 Petrol MINI had atrocious economy around town. Now they are copying the Lupo 3L and A2 1.2 TDI with a diesel stop start car for 2008. Fiat look set to challenge MINI with their new 850kg 500 if their UK dealers are reliable enough. Certainly the FIAT 500 website marketing is superb!
In this media and political frenzy about climate change and with the USA finally seeing the benefits of TDI, Particulate filters, Bluetech, low sulphur and bio-diesel, now is the time to bring back a car like the A2 - but probably as a single model to reduce costs.
Redesign it/facelift/ call it E2 or ECO2, but please not another over weight Golf clone. The VW Blue Motion Polo is rather too conservative. You need something more high tech and better looking to beat the Prius brigade. An A2 1.2 TDI with PTF, Urea/Ammonia injection to reduce NOx /meet EuroV & EPA2008, stronger 6 speed manual gearbox (but retaining the stop/start system), air-con, power steering as standard and maybe an equally low drag (0.25Cd) Coupe body should be possible at a price much lower than a Prius or BMW 1 Series. Enter it in the Ansari X Prize (
http://auto.xprize.org/ ) US competition for a true 100 US MPG car. Win that and it will, Euro for Euro, sell more cars than any Le Mans programme!"
