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Volkswagen Sales Up 112.9 Percent for July

4 August 1998

Volkswagen Sales Up 112.9 Percent for July - Best in 18 Years - Record July Sales for Jetta and Passat Models And Best Month So Far for New Beetle

    AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Aug. 4 -- With sales of 24,056,
Volkswagen of America, Inc. reported its best July sales results since 1980.
This figure represents a 112.9 percent increase over last year's July figure
of 11,301.
    For the year, Volkswagen has surged well ahead of last year's pace.  Year-
to-date, the German automaker has sold 128,137 new cars, up 59 percent over
the same period in 1997 when sales were 80,595.
    July also represented the best sales month to date for Volkswagen's very
popular New Beetle model, which went on sale in mid-March of this year.  In
July, Volkswagen sold 7,627 New Beetles, topping last month's figure of
7,466.  For the year, 25,058 New Beetles have been sold.
    The Passat, Volkswagen's hot-selling midsize model that debuted last fall,
continued to enjoy brisk sales with 3,154 sold in July, an increase of 314
percent versus last year's mark of 762 and the best July ever for this model.
    Volkswagen's volume leader, the top-selling Jetta model, also enjoyed its
best July results ever with sales of 9,638, a 26.8 percent increase over the
7,603 sold during the same month in 1997.
    At 1,429, the Volkswagen Cabrio's results were up 60.6 percent for the
month, versus last year's total of 890; it represents the model's best July
since 1987.