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Volkswagen Sales Up 14.7 Percent - Best April Since 1977

2 May 2000

Volkswagen Sales Up 14.7 Percent - Best April Since 1977 - Best Passat Month Ever, Record April for Jetta and New Beetle

    AUBURN HILLS, Mich., May 2 Volkswagen of America, Inc.
today reported its best April sales in 23 years.
    In April, Volkswagen sold 30,546 new cars in the U.S., which represents a
14.7 percent increase over last year's mark of 26,626.
    For the year, Volkswagen is well ahead of last year's pace.  Year-to-date,
Volkswagen has sold 113,167 new cars, up 25.5 percent from the same period in
1999 when sales were 90,151.
    Last month's results represented record-breaking months for Volkswagen's
most popular models, the Jetta, Passat and New Beetle.
    The Passat enjoyed an all-time record month with April sales of 8,239,
versus last year's mark of 6,524, an increase of 26.3 percent.
    Volkswagen's top-selling Jetta model recorded record-breaking April sales
of 11,749 versus 1999's mark of 10,948, an increase of 7.3 percent.  The Jetta
continues to be America's best-selling European nameplate.
    Volkswagen's New Beetle continues to show strong market appeal more than
two years after its introduction.  In April, 6,699 New Beetles were sold, an
increase of 8.1 percent over 1999's mark of 6,196 and the best April in the
model's history.  Yesterday, Volkswagen announced it will begin selling two
new Limited Color Edition New Beetles, a new sporty yellow, called Reflex
Yellow, and a new mystical light blue, called Vapor Blue, exclusively on the
web.  Each color will be limited to 2,000 units.
    Also noteworthy for April, Volkswagen saw double-digit increases in sales
of its advanced TDI diesel engine option in the New Beetle, Golf and Jetta
models, with increases of 97.6 percent, 25 percent and 59.8 percent
respectively for the month.  Volkswagen sells more fuel-efficient diesel
passenger cars than any other automaker in the U.S.