How can I tell where it was built?

[BARNEY]

How can I tell where my Mk4 GTi was made? Someone has told me to avoid ones from South Africa and Belgium. I guess they are certain chassis numbers? Cheers in advance.

[Organisys]

You want the WVW at the start of the VIN number, not SA
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/usedcars_roadtest/55406/volkswagen_golf_mkiv.html

[BARNEY]

Thanks Organisys. Sigh of relief..its a WVW. Already bought it last week and then just heard that today.

[VWmaindealer]

Actually, that Autoexpress article is a bit misleading. The SA prefix appears on dealers computer systems prefixing the chasssis but very few SA build cars were produced with SA on the chassis plate.

The WVW at the beginning is just part of the chassis filler - all chassis numbers for everything are seventeen digits. VW only need 10 so they chuck fillers in. All VW chassis nos. start WVWZZZ. Audis start WAUZZZ.

Barney, if you want to PM me your chassis or reg, I can find out for you tomorrow.

Very few GTIs were SA build though, mostly just SE and S models.  Have a good look around under the bonnet, there are usually made in South Africa stickers hidden around (although some dealers actually peeled these off, i'm not joking)

VWmd

[Neaty]

look at that, our resident mole us having a blinder!! 

[VWmaindealer]

sorry, I can get a bit boring about this stuff sometimes......

 

[Neaty]

no i find this sort of thing really interesting!

so u say not many were built in south africa?

[VWmaindealer]

Not many GTis I believe. Loads of Golfs. Volkswagen move production around teh world depending on demand. If the european market has a bit surge, they'll build more here. If it gets too much, they'll outsource some to the SA plant. If the SA plant is a bit quiet (!) they'll build UK RHD for a few months and so on.  After a while, VW UK realised that the public were getting wise to the fact that the quality of the african cars was crap and didn't make a big deal of it in any sales brochures and the like.

Incidentally, I was working for Merc as the then enw C-Class came out. This was the first merc to be built in South Africa and the quality was shocking! Daft point but you can tell a South African built merc because under the bonnet it will say on the slam panel "Made by Mercedes-Benz" as apposed to Made in Germany.  Fascinating stuff eh?

[Neaty]

ah i c, cleverly worded..."well i would bleedin well hope it was made my mercerdes-benz, it has the badge on"!! 

[Organisys]

Actually, that Autoexpress article is a bit misleading. .......

This confirms what I already think of journalists......fnucking idiots, never check their facts properly.