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Volkswagen Sales Up 29.5 Percent - Best April Since 1980

4 May 1999

Volkswagen Sales Up 29.5 Percent - Best April Since 1980 - Best Jetta Month Ever - Passat Sales Continue to Surge

    AUBURN HILLS, Mich., May 3 -- Volkswagen of America, Inc.
today reported its best April sales in 19 years.
    In April, Volkswagen sold 26,626 new cars in the U.S., which represents a
29.5 percent increase over last year's mark of 20,562.  Not since 1980 has
Volkswagen enjoyed April sales of this magnitude.
    For the year, Volkswagen is well ahead of last year's brisk pace.  Year-
to-date, the German automaker has sold 90,151 new cars in the U.S., up 49.9
percent from the same period in 1998 when sales were 60,128.
    April also demonstrated continued consumer excitement for Volkswagen's
best selling Jetta model, which was completely redesigned for the 1999 model
year and introduced last December.  Volkswagen sold 10,948 new Jettas in April
versus 1998's mark of 8,217, an increase of 33.2 percent.  It marks the best
single month sales figure in the history of the model, which was originally
introduced in the U.S. in 1980.
    April also represented another record sales month for Volkswagen's award-
winning Passat sedan and wagon.  The Passat enjoyed its best sales month ever
with 6,524 sold in April, versus last year's mark of 3,651, an increase of
78.6 percent.
    Volkswagen's popular New Beetle continues to show strong market appeal
more than a year after its introduction.  In April, 6,196 New Beetles were
sold, an increase of 27.2 percent over 1998's April mark of 4,870.