Good Morning Warren and friends,
I got home Saturday from Frankfurt, Germany, turned around Monday morning to go to New York City for what was supposed to be a small party with the big unveil of the Volkswagen Passat (slight redesign on an already great gasoline car) .
By the time I got to New York the diesel was hitting the fan.
To say I’m stunned is an understatement. Disappointed. Just like at General Motors, I have grown up with these people. I have watched them create technology and cars that will be a part of our future. I have also watched them fall in love, get married and have children.
To know that any of these people that I believe make up the heart and soul of these companies is complicit in defrauding all of us makes me angry and sad.
I witnessed Michael Horn telling the group at the Passat event that they were dishonest and that they had “screwed up”.
We know CEO Martin Winterkorn is gone.
There are reports swirling that after today Michael Horn, Audi’s R&D Ulrich Hackenberg and Porsche’s engine chief Wolfgang Hatz will be let go at a meeting of the supervisory board meeting in Germany.
Such beautiful minds, such spectacular engineering came from these people — and if they were involved, tragic. The frailty of humans.
How does this affect you, the owner of a diesel Volkswagen? I interviewed CARB’s spokesperson Dave Clegern yesterday and I have three video interviews for you:
CARB clarifies if you can sell your used Volkswagen diesel vehicle on Driving the Nation
CARB explains how Volkswagen got caught and why it matters on Driving the Nation
CARB explains Volkswagen diesel non-compliance
Let’s chat about cars.
Click on the picture to go to the washingtonpost.com chat:
