Loyal VW customer (Jack Powell, 100yo)

jomoloney

sorry can't direct link. scroll to page 31

http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/ODE/NenaghGuardian/

For Forks Sake

This link makes more sense to the story you're referring to http://blog.volkswagen.ie/100-year-old-jack-powell-receives-his-41st-volkswagen/

MidlandsM

thats an old story at this stage...

biko

A local vet from Nenagh, Co. Tipperary reached an important milestone in style this week when he received a brand new Volkswagen Polo from his local dealer in Thurles, Co. Tipperary.
Local vet, Jack Powell, celebrated his 100th birthday and was presented with his 41st Volkswagen passenger vehicle from Tom Harvey Volkswagen in Thurles Co. Tipperary, to celebrate this exceptional milestone. A loyal Volkswagen customer, 100 year old Mr Powell purchased his first Volkswagen in 1953 and drove out of the showroom in his 41st vehicle, a Volkswagen Polo.

http://vetcar.ie/2013/05/31/100-year-old-jack-powell-receives-his-41st-volkswagen-from-tom-harvey-volkswagen-in-thurles/

Pretty loyal indeed

ba_barabus

Good vet too

jomoloney

MidlandsM wrote: »

thats an old story at this stage...

we don't all spent 24 hours a day online sorry for boring you

MidlandsM

jomoloney wrote: »

we don't all spent 24 hours a day online sorry for boring you

breath in, and out, you ok there now?

biko

A story 100 years in the making..

tossy

The only gave him a polo.

Anan1

41 cars in 60 years - make of that what you will!

MugMugs

41 cars. This man witnessed mechanical decline first hand! That's impressive!

tossy

Lads he is the fresh new face of Volkswagen Ireland! expect to see him wearing a cat suit and F me wellies sprawled across the bonnet of a GTI soon.

There's a mental image to ruin your weekend!

sean1141

Anan1 wrote: »

41 cars in 60 years - make of that what you will!

A lot of vets do very high millage on bad roads/farm lanes/across fields etc especially years ago when farm yards were not as organized as they are now.
Our previous vet was doing 70-75k miles per year, granted he did drive back home to Mayo once or twice a week but you get the idea.

Changing every 12-18 months would be common with them

Eric Cartman

MugMugs wrote: »

41 cars. This man witnessed mechanical decline first hand! That's impressive!

as other cars got more reliable he just thought this was normal, engine fubar'd after 50,000 miles, yeah sure my 53 beetle did that, why wouldnt a 2006 passat tdi :pac:

Anan1

Anan1 wrote: »

41 cars in 60 years - make of that what you will!

He is a vet, would do big mileage and could afford to change cars regularly.

No need for the dig at VW.

00833827

the man is in good shape for 100 years

Anan1

Davis Prehistoric Bingo wrote: »

He is a vet, would do big mileage and could afford to change cars regularly.

No need for the dig at VW.

He changed his car on average every 18 months, I feel that's worthy of comment.

Kenny Logins

Anan1 wrote: »

He changed his car on average every 18 months, I feel that's worthy of comment.

Interesting, but what's your point?

If I could afford to, I'd change every week. :pac:

Anan1

Kenny Logins wrote: »

Interesting, but what's your point?

If I could afford to, I'd change every week. :pac:

Which part of 'make of that what you will!' are you having trouble with?

keithclancy

Kenny Logins wrote: »

Interesting, but what's your point?

If I could afford to, I'd change every week. :pac:

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/07/09/man-nears-3-millionth-mile-in-world-record-holding-volvo/

VW do good trade in

For Forks Sake

Anan1 wrote: »

Which part of 'make of that what you will!' are you having trouble with?

I get the dig at vw you're attempting, but it's misplaced. Vets, especially in rural areas cover massive mileage, atrocious roads, and can also be carrying loads, so frequent changes of cars aren't unsurprising.

That said, I'd bet he kept the Golf GTi about 2 weeks before he realised it was utterly incompatible with the life of a vet.

Anan1

Anan1 wrote: »

He changed his car on average every 18 months, I feel that's worthy of comment.

A lot of people change car every two to three years, especially down through the years when cars held there value better and you would be able to trade up for small money. A lot of the reason for that is people don't like having high mileage or there cars will be worth less in a trade in with higher mileage.

As a vet he would have been doing well above average mileage especially years back when people didn't commute so he would change cars more often.

As mentioned as a vet he could also afford to have the comfort of having a new car fairly often.

Sierra Oscar

For Forks Sake wrote: »

I get the dig at vw you're attempting, but it's misplaced. Vets, especially in rural areas cover massive mileage, atrocious roads, and can also be carrying loads, so frequent changes of cars aren't unsurprising.

That and some people just like to change their car pretty often - it is not exactly a big issue if you can afford to do so. It is jumping to conclusions to assume that he changed his car due to believing they were unreliable. Why would he keep buying a VW car for over half a century if he believed they were not reliable?

I know of quite a few people who change their cars every two years, or even yearly. They can afford to do so.

Anan1

Davis Prehistoric Bingo wrote: »

A lot of people change car every two to three years, especially down through the years when cars held there value better and you would be able to trade up for small money. A lot of the reason for that is people don't like having high mileage or there cars will be worth less in a trade in with higher mileage.

As a vet he would have been doing well above average mileage especially years back when people didn't commute so he would change cars more often.

As mentioned as a vet he could also afford to have the comfort of having a new car fairly often.

And for you the above completely explains 41 cars in 60 years? If so then fair enough.

Anan1

For Forks Sake wrote: »

I get the dig at vw you're attempting, but it's misplaced. Vets, especially in rural areas cover massive mileage, atrocious roads, and can also be carrying loads, so frequent changes of cars aren't unsurprising.

And would you guys get over the dig at VW thing? Up until the early 90s VW build quality was second to none, and Jack Powell was presumably winding down by that time.

00833827

doubt he would keep buying a brand that would let him down every year and half.

Anan1

00833827 wrote: »

doubt he would keep buying a brand that would let him down every year and half.

Me too. Bet you're confused now.

Voodoomelon

A century of Polos and Golfs, a motoring forums dream!

Nah, fair play to him, nice story.

keithclancy

Sierra Oscar wrote: »

That and some people just like to change their car pretty often - it is not exactly a big issue if you can afford to do so. It is jumping to conclusions to assume that he changed his car due to believing they were unreliable. Why would he keep buying a VW car for over half a century if he believed they were not reliable?

I know of quite a few people who change their cars every two years, or even yearly. They can afford to do so.

I would find a Merc with 4.6 million kilometers on the Clock that was used in Greece (Were the roads are even worse) far more impressive than a VW that was traded in every year and a half.

http://www.expatica.com/de/news/local_news/last-ride-for-mercedes-taxi-withbr46-million-kilometres-on-clock--12033.html

All the blog says is that he's a loyal customer, it would make me question the reliability rather than make me think VWs are reliable.

Sam Russell

tossy wrote: »

The only gave him a polo.

Wher does it say they gave it to him?

Ilik Urgee

Anan1 wrote: »

Which part of 'make of that what you will!' are you having trouble with?

I'll have a stab at it. He drove the same car til he was 80, and has gone thru 40 in the last 20 years?:D

00833827

ah right - its a marketing exercise by VW but at end of day its good to see a fella of that age still knocking about, independently i may add, and has obviously had a lifelong interest in motors that still continues - fair play i think (to him) - i was a fan of older VW models up till say mid-90's, not so much the newer stuff - but I must say that only on Boards could, whats on the surface of it, a good news story degenerate into a slagging match about how reliable or how rubbish one of the most established marques is. Well done lads.

Kenny Logins

Anan1 wrote: »

Which part of 'make of that what you will!' are you having trouble with?

I'm interested to hear what you made of it.

Anan1

Kenny Logins wrote: »

I'm interested to hear what you made of it.

I'd say that the guy had a big hang up about reliability. During his formative years the Beetle was simple (aircooled), and generally bulletproof. In spite of buying what was probably the most reliable car available at the time, he still wanted it to be always new and always under warranty - vet or not, i'd call that overkill. In spite of his many years of ownership, I think his experience was severely limited by his having always driven new cars. Finally, the force of habit in him was so strong as to resist the pull of Toyota in the 70s. In short, I think the whole thing tells us lots about him but little enough about VW.

Kenny Logins

Anan1 wrote: »

I'd say that the guy had a big hang up about reliability. During his formative years the Beetle was simple (aircooled), and generally bulletproof. In spite of buying what was probably the most reliable car available at the time, he still wanted it to be always new and always under warranty - vet or not, i'd call that overkill. In spite of his many years of ownership, I think his experience was severely limited by his having always driven new cars. Finally, the force of habit in him was so strong as to resist the pull of Toyota in the 70s. In short, I think the whole thing tells us lots about him but little enough about VW.

Yep, that's a fair assessment I think.

I'm so used to seeing VW owners owning multiples that I didn't consider the numbers and possible turnover rate, if they were all bought in succession.

Max Power1

They only gave him a polo? Should have given him a phaeton :P

For Forks Sake

Max Power1 wrote: »

They only gave him a polo? Should have given him a phaeton :P

VW don't sell the Phaeton any more. And from my reading (open to correction) he purchased the Polo, it wasn't given to him.

galwaytt

For Forks Sake wrote: »

VW don't sell the Phaeton any more. And from my reading (open to correction) he purchased the Polo, it wasn't given to him.

...as noticed with other 'famous' people before - giving them free stuff does nothing for the brand (I'm thining of Chris deBurgh and his free BeeEmm 7-series for example). But, if you get them to spend their own money on one, then that's a much better coup. Investment in the brand and all that......

Anyone can drive free stuff.

_Kaiser_

galwaytt wrote: »

...as noticed with other 'famous' people before - giving them free stuff does nothing for the brand (I'm thining of Chris deBurgh and his free BeeEmm 7-series for example). But, if you get them to spend their own money on one, then that's a much better coup. Investment in the brand and all that......

Anyone can drive free stuff.

Still would have been a nice gesture for his loyalty to the brand though. It's not like he was buying fully-loaded Phaetons or A8's so not a huge outlay for VW

Max Power1

For Forks Sake wrote: »

VW don't sell the Phaeton any more. And from my reading (open to correction) he purchased the Polo, it wasn't given to him.

I was joking about the phaeton

Well from my reading he was "presented" with it.. meaning it was a gift

For Forks Sake

For Forks Sake wrote: »

VW don't sell the Phaeton any more. And from my reading (open to correction) he purchased the Polo, it wasn't given to him.

Its certainly worded like it was given to him.

Toyotafanboi

Nice to see he kept things VAG, went for basic spec, plastic hub caps, no front fogs etc...

Anan1

Davis Prehistoric Bingo wrote: »

Its certainly worded like it was given to him.

It's called advertorial.

Valetta

00833827 wrote: »

the man is in good shape for 100 years

I presume he was serviced regularly.

Tea 1000

Kaiser2000 wrote: »

Still would have been a nice gesture for his loyalty to the brand though. It's not like he was buying fully-loaded Phaetons or A8's so not a huge outlay for VW

Interestingly enough, it would take them probably 6 Polo's bought from him to recoup enough profit to give him a free one, but I'd say less than 3 A8's would return the price of a new one!
The profit margin on the small yokes is tight enough, but the money making machines are the big tanks.

MuppetCheck

It was a free car, mentioned on their Facebook page that vw gave it for free.

Tea 1000

Tea 1000 wrote: »

Interestingly enough, it would take them probably 6 Polo's bought from him to recoup enough profit to give him a free one, but I'd say less than 3 A8's would return the price of a new one!
The profit margin on the small yokes is tight enough, but the money making machines are the big tanks.

It's VW themselves that are funding it not the dealer.

ShadowHearth

It's a bit sad if you ask me. Imagine eating porridge all your life and never try anything else. And for your 100th birthday, you get a porridge again, but not the one made with milk and some homey in it, but made with water and in microwave.

ShadowHearth

ShadowHearth wrote: »

It's a bit sad if you ask me. Imagine eating porridge all your life and never try anything else. And for your 100th birthday, you get a porridge again, but not the one made with milk and some homey in it, but made with water and in microwave.

On the other hand why change if you like what you get and are happy with it. Changing for the sake of change is a bit pointless.

Its not like he was buying the same car all along, he was getting different models and many different versions of different models down through the years.

Tea 1000

Davis Prehistoric Bingo wrote: »

It's VW themselves that are funding it not the dealer.

Exactly my point. VW make massive money on the expensive stuff, the dealer makes small enough margins. Even VW don't make massive money on Polo's, they're all gone so complicated that the R&D going in is quite a big amount even for small cars.

alias no.9

Anan1 wrote: »

41 cars in 60 years - make of that what you will!

My wifes uncle has had 3 in round about the same length of time