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Volkswagen's Sales Up 71.3 Percent in August

2 September 1998

Volkswagen's Sales Up 71.3 Percent in August -- Best August Since 1981 -- Best Passat Month Ever

    AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Sept. 2 -- Volkswagen of America, Inc.
reported its best August sales results in 17 years.
    Volkswagen sold 24,208 new cars for the month of August, representing a
71.3 percent increase over the same period in 1997 when it sold 14,132.
    For the year, Volkswagen has already surpassed its total 1997 results.
Year-to-date, the German automaker has sold 152,345 new cars, up 60.8 percent
over last year's mark of 94,727.
    The Passat, Volkswagen's mid-size sedan and wagon, enjoyed its best
monthly sales ever with August sales of 3,753 versus last year's mark of 555.
Cabrio sales continued its brisk pace in August with sales of 1,338, its best
August results in 10 years and an increase of 37.7 percent over last year's
972.
    Volkswagen's popular New Beetle continued its sales momentum in August
with sales of 7,392, giving it a year-to-date total of 32,450.