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Old 10-03-2012, 08:01 AM   #1
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Vans going European video

Hi;

This Wall Street Journal video yaps about the end of the classic American van.

The most insight provided is that GM has no such euro beast and has therefore not announced the end of its existing style of vans.

http://live.wsj.com/video/farewell-to-t ... 1845ABAC8A

Regards,

Gavin

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Old 10-03-2012, 10:10 AM   #2
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Re: Vans going European video

Cartoon trivia from the video:
Quote:
The Scooby-Doo van is a 1963 Econoline
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Old 10-03-2012, 10:41 AM   #3
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Re: Vans going European video

I am somehow still amazed when supposed professional journalists simply trot out complete crap, film themselves doing it and try to pass it off as fact. GM in Europe is Opel. Opel have a collaboration (with I believe Renault and a Japanese auto maker, maybe Nissan) and produce a complete range of commercial vehicles.

http://en.opel.mobi/6412_0_1_17_5b18629 ... 7e2e7.html

Don't just take my word for it....
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Old 10-03-2012, 10:58 AM   #4
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Re: Vans going European video

Quote:
Originally Posted by witoke
I am somehow still amazed when supposed professional journalists simply trot out complete crap, film themselves doing it and try to pass it off as fact. GM in Europe is Opel. Opel have a collaboration (with I believe Renault and a Japanese auto maker, maybe Nissan) and produce a complete range of commercial vehicles.
Too true, too true. Journalism has degenerated into a quick Google search, then misinterpreting the results.

GM also owns Vauxhall in the UK BTW: http://www.vauxhall.co.uk/vehicles/vaux ... rview.html

Z
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Old 10-10-2012, 08:44 PM   #5
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Re: Vans going European video

What gets me is the statement that the Econoline isn't as efficient as the Euro vans...Yeah, on pavement! Off road those piles of crap wouldn’t last 200 feet. Whoops, “off road”; It’s not a politically correct term. Bastards. Who care about Scooby Doo or the Euro junk! Where’s the foe button
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Old 10-10-2012, 09:03 PM   #6
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Re: Vans going European video

Quote:
Who care about Scooby Doo
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Old 10-10-2012, 09:19 PM   #7
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Re: Vans going European video

Not more than 5 minutes ago I put a Scooby Doo and Mystery Inc band-aid on my thumb, and now you're bad mouthing Scooby?

Would you drive a Sprinter for a Scooby snack? How about two Scooby snacks?


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Old 10-12-2012, 12:11 AM   #8
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Re: Vans going European video

Rats Roovy
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Old 10-17-2012, 03:14 AM   #9
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Vans going European video

It seems to me that efficiency comes down to a lot more that fuel economy and encompasses total operating costs. Guess that's why most contractors still use or have gone back to, the Econoline. I doubt very much that Ford's claimed 15% better fuel economy will make much difference to a busines's bottom line.
Of course I wouldn't expect a wet behind the ears motor journalist to know that.
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Old 10-17-2012, 11:33 AM   #10
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Re: Vans going European video

I have seen the future and it's Mexican. After a recent trip across the border I saw new Ford Transits everywhere as well as several other kinds of Euro vans I could not ID. I think if they can survive Mexican roads, drivers and conditions, they might be tougher than we think. I also saw quite a number of the VW version of the Sprinter that VW and Mercedes collaborated on. Doesn't look much different from the Sprinter, at least from the outside.

But on the topic of efficiency, there are two issues I see. Since we wont be getting the Euro diesel engines the mileage increase is relatively small but if you have a large fleet and can save 15% of your fuel costs I would say that's HUGE.

I suspect the real economy issue with these vans has more to do with the manufacturing efficiency for the car companies here than fuel economy. They are already designed and built so Ford USA doesn't have to do any thinking or make any additional investment in design and manufacture. Then it is cheaper and easier to make a unibody than a body on frame and they have several other advantages: they are more rigid, quieter, it is easier to design crumple zones and crash-resistance into them and they have much better external volume to internal volume ratio.

I think the notion that they are automatically going to be fragile and incapable of standing up to off-roading is not necessarily true. I don't know what the new Ford Transits are like off-road but these <
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