Volkswagen's Sales Up 13 Percent - Best Overall Sales Month Since 1973 - All-Time Records for Passat and Jetta

    AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Sept. 3 Volkswagen of America, Inc.
today reported its best overall sales month in 28 years.  You must look back
to August of 1973, an era marked by the heydays of the original Beetle, to
find better results for the automaker in the U.S.

    In August, Volkswagen sold 38,728 new cars in the U.S., which represents
an increase of 13 percent over last year's mark of 34,276.  With the month's
strong results, Volkswagen is nearly on track with last year's record-setting
pace.  For the year so far, Volkswagen has sold 243,765 versus 2000's mark of
244,066.

    August also represented a major milestone for Volkswagen's Passat model,
which exceeded monthly sales of more than 10,000 units for the first time
ever.  The German automaker sold a record-setting 10,502 Passats this past
month versus 7,546 the previous year-an increase of 39.2 percent.  The
Volkswagen Passat, which was restyled earlier this past spring, is the best-
selling German-built midsize sold in the U.S.

    Volkswagen's number-one selling Jetta model also enjoyed an all-time
record sales month.  August sales were 15,665 versus 2000's mark of 14,974, an
increase of 4.6 percent and the best ever in the model's 21-year sales
history.  The Jetta continues to be America's top European model.

    Volkswagen remains the nation's top-selling European brand.

    All Sales by model:
    Jetta
      August 2001, 15,665 vs. August 2000, 14,974 up 4.6%
    Passat
      August 2001, 10,502 vs. August 2000, 7,546 up 39.2%
    New Beetle
      August 2001, 6,834 vs. August 2000, 7,474 (8.6)
    Golf
      August 2001, 3,718 vs. August 2000, 2,999 up 24%
    Cabrio
      August 2001, 1,279  vs. August 2000, 1,103 up 16%
    EuroVan
      August 2001, 730 vs. August 2000, 180 up 305.6.8%