Volks-qìchē 人民 汽车

When Homer J. Simpson met his half-brother for the first time in ‘Oh Brother Where Art Thou’, he was given the opportunity to design a car for the everyday person. This resulted in lots of laughter, a bankruptcy and the brothers falling apart. Volkswagen is trying something similar in the People’s Republic of China, obviously called the »People’s Car Project«.

Just remember, »The Homer, the car built for Homer« featured large beverage holders, a little ball on top of the aerial, a bowling mascot on the hood, horns that play La Cucaracha, a sound-proof bubble for the kids, a huge motor and big fins. In Chinese this might translate as: large rice bowls, a golden star on the antenna, a Mao Tse-tung bust, the ‘March of the Volunteers’, sound-proof bubble for talking politics, a huge motor and shark-fins.

 (The Homer, the car built for Homer)

While most Chinese internet users can neither access international news sites nor receive meaningful information when they google »Tibet«, they now can join in the development of their »Volkswagen« of the future. The company claims to take a new approach to customer dialog in China. Chinese internet users can post their ideas about the car of the future on the »People’s Car Project« (PCP) platform Zaoche.

 (Luca de Meo, Volkswagen)

»Volkswagen has set out to create the most innovative dialog platform ever with the ‘People’s Car Project’. The platform is debuting in China, because that is Volkswagen’s largest and most important market. However, we also see potential for launching the project in other markets as well,« Luca de Meo, Director of Marketing, Volkswagen Group and the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand, explained. PCP is initially scheduled to run for a one-year period.
»We hope to involve people via the internet and inspire them for Volkswagen,« de Meo commented. Internet users accessing the PCP page can click their way to co-developing their Volkswagen model of the future as well as posting ideas which are then discussed and developed further by other users. They can also upload images or films.
»With PCP we are listening very carefully to what our customers have to say and are building cars not only for, but also with people,« Luca de Meo explains, adding that this gives Volkswagen a valuable insight into the wishes, needs and demands of Chinese customers.

Comments

[Brian Cooke]

But I think not. Just not that into the look...great features but something about the sleeker look.

[bankruptcy lawyer phoenix]

It has been the sole agenda of manufacturers to create products intended to be a part of a customer's life and day to day activity. But this plan is a little too absurd. I hope they didn't push through.