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Re: [T3] Right Hand Steering Type3s


Currently, 4th generation Golfs come off production lines at Wolfsburg
(W) and Mosel (P) in Germany, Puebla (M) in Mexico, Uitenhage (U) in
South Africa, Bratislava (D) in Slovakia and Curitiba (4) in Brazil. 
The letter in brackets is the last figure before the serial number in
the total VIN. Of course, 1st generation Golfs are still made in at
Uitenhage (U) in South Africa.
In early 1998 a batch of RHD 3rd generation Golfs were exported to
Britain from South Africa while the Wolfsburg factory was flat out
producing the first of the 4th generation Golfs.  Since then more 4th
generation RHD Golfs from South Africa have been sold in Britain.  Here
in Australia our 4th generation RHD Golfs have come from Wolfsburg (W),
Mosel (P) and Uitenhage (U).  I understand that all US-market Golfs
currently come from Puebla (M).

On one visit to the Wolfsburg factory during early 1973 I watched an
assortment of Type3s comming along the assembly line built to a wide
variety of destination specifications but sometimes in very small
batches.  There might have been ten fastbacks for Germany followed by
five squarebacks for the USA followed by one fastback for France, ten
squarebacks and a fastback for Britain and then two notchbacks for
Switzerland and then back to some more US models. I asked how this was
possible, bearing in mind all the different wiring looms, safety
standards, traffic regulations, colours, M-options, etc. and was told
the central computer arranged for all the correct parts to arrive in the
right order at the right moment for the assembly line workers to just
pick them up from the bin or rack and install them.  This amazed me.  I
asked about mistakes being made such as US-specs installed in a right
hand steering car.  I was told such mistakes do not occur!   He said
that as many of the workers were Italians and could not read German the
factory depended on the computer to get it right.  The next day, I found
the same thing was happening at the Transporter factory in Hanover. 
During 1974 at VW's Salzgitter factory they were assembling VW Type4s,
Audi 100s and VW K70s all on the same line and sometimes in batches of
only one!  I imagine that today, nearly thirty years later, the process
is even more refined in terms of being able to accept a myriad of
variations.

Simon Glen
Toowoomba, Australia.


Dave Hall wrote:

> > Starting in '99, Golfs for the UK market (and probably others RHD markets
> > as well) are made (or maybe CKD assembled) in South Africa, as this frees
> > up valuable production room for LHD models in Germany and Belgium.
>
> Wow, I will check out any car (VW of course) I look at in the future to see
> its origins.  The last figure before the serial number must be a 'W' for
> Wolfsburg.
>
> In '97 there were RHD and LHD coming off the same lines at Wolfsburg.  I
> think back in Type 3 times they did batch the cars though.  A few years ago
> I had 3 '71 RHD Variants in the drive, made on successive days in week 18.
> It's unlikely to have been a coincidence.  Week 43 seems another popular RHD
> session.  Anyone out there got a body plate that says 18-x-xxxx ?  RHD or
> LHD and what model year?
>
> Dave.
> UK VW Type 3 & 4 Club

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