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Handbuilt Luxury…from Volkswagen?

German cars are arguably the best. The words Porsche, Mercedes and Audi ring in the heads of those who inhale soft leather on the way to the office. There is, of course, another brand that reigns in the forests of Deutschland- VW. Commonly associated with working-class people who have a touch of taste, Volkswagen is actually the mother of the slightly more prestigious Audi and, well, slightly less prestigious Sköda. VW recently added Bentley to its books, aiming to forge the class associated with British vehicles to the renowned German reliability and build quality which some Bentleys didn’t exactly ooze with.

VIEWING AREA To the right, a 130 foot tower houses Phaeton models waiting for their owners.

The latest Bentley, the Continental GT, is significantly cut-priced, aiming for the well-off rather than the elite. But many Europeans swear by the VW marquee, and the Bentley could be a tad pricey for well-off folk who don’t want to spend all of their money on four wheels. So the brainy VW sketchers got to work, and decided that they would design a luxury cruiser. Even better, they then decided to build it, by hand.

But what sort of name do you give to a car from a middle-class mark that wants to be a big boy? Something like ‘chariot’ or ‘stallion’ wasn’t going to wash with the thick-walleted. So the boffins in Germany decided to do what any wise designer would do. Give it a random name from a mythological story and, as no-one knows what it is, it will add a sense of beautiful mystery. Phaeton was the son of the sun-god Helios. In this case, more like the big daddy.

VW are known to build a factory for nearly every individual model they make, placing them in random German towns and creating jobs, tax breaks etc. and the Phaeton is certainly not an exception. However, its factory is very exceptional indeed. The absolutely stunning Glaserne Manufaktur, in picturesque Dresden , is a true credit to German engineering and Volkswagen. It even has a concert hall for the lucky community. Parquet floors and lots and lots of glass are the environment in which the Phaeton is crafted.The first hand built car for many years in VW,each

TRANSPARENT FACTORY Located on the edge of Strassburger Platz, Dresden, this factory hides nothing from the world.

The finish is classy, the shiny metal panels making a striking effect on the quality paint. Being significantly bigger than any other Volkswagen, its sheer presence makes you feel that something is different about the car. In my local showroom (the only one worthy of housing the Phaeton in Northern Ireland ) the parquet theme is even carried to the very floor on which the show model stands. There is a private room for those enquiring in buying one. VW are clearly spending a lot on marketing this low-volume model, and the smell of money diffuses the oxygen in the room.

Open the seemingly bombproof doors, and a surprise awaits. It is actually a Volkswagen? I went back out to check the badge’s authenticity, and dived in again to observe the interior. A rather nice wood design compliments the sumptuous leather seats, and a good-sized screen houses the gadgetry. A chrome knob in the middle of the armrest looks simple enough, though I didn’t actually test it.

The powerful diesel model which I encountered is both frugal and powerful. VW’s engines aren’t to be messed with in any model, however the normal models tend to be pathetically specked. I wouldn’t call the Phaeton a supercomputer, but if you like to drive a car rather than play in it, you should get by fine.

I was pleasantly surprised by the VW Phaeton. Writing about a Volkswagen on a luxury website would put many writers’ heads on the block, but this one is worthy of a mention.

Visit VolksWagen online at : http://www.vw.com


- Peter Thompson