Volkswagen - The most economical thing about a VW is how long it's economical. (1966) printad (USA)

The most economical thing about a VW is how long it's economical.

Unless you've been marooned on a desert island, you probably know the Volkswagen has quite a reputation for being cheap to run.
As a matter of fact, a lot of VW owners have turned into crashing bores by talking endlessly about it.
It may be boring, but it's true.

Almost everyone gets about 29 miles to a gallon of regular gas. (Some get a bit more or a bit less depending on where and how they drive.)
It doesn't take much oil to keep a Volkswagen going. And tires that go 40,000 miles per set is no special news. (They're built to carry almost twice the weight of the car.)
The secret of more tire wear: more tire. There aren't a lot of repairs and adjustments to put up with, either.
Parts don't cost a fortune because so many of them are interchangeable from one year to the next.
And license plates and insurance generally cost less than for other cars.

This VW went 67,000 miles. And back.
All in all, a Volkswagen can save you a good $200 a year.
Not bad.

But the thing that really sets the VW apart from other cars is its low depreciation. The difference is staggering.
The fact is, domestic cars depreciate 2 times as fast as a Volkswagen in only one year.
A one-year-old VW that cost about $1,800* now is actually worth more than many year- old domestic cars that originally cost $2,200. Stick around; it gets worse.
A 5-year-old Volkswagen could be sold for as much as $900 if it's in reasonably good shape.
But that 5-year-old $2,200 car is now worth maybe $400-$500. Maybe.
So it doesn't take an Einstein to figure out what an ugly hole depreciation can put in your pocket.
Unless you buy a Volkswagen.
And one Volkswagen may be the only one you'll ever have to buy.
Say you buy a 1966 VW for $1,800.* And say you save that $200 on running it every year and put it in the bank.
In 5 years or so, you can take that car (if it's in reasonable shape) together with the money you've saved to your local friendly Volkswagen dealer.
*Depending on accessories, local taxes and delivery charges.
Chances are you can drive out with a brand-new VW and not have to add a dime.
One of the nice things about owning it is selling it.
If you don't like that idea, there's another alternative.
Buy a '66 VW and just drive it.
No one will stop you from keeping the same VW for as long as you like. (No one I will know the difference anyway; we never change the way it looks.)
So you can just go on saving all that nice money year after year and get rich at our expense.
Maybe the VW really can't make a poor man rich.
But neither can it make a rich man poor.

Ad agency: Doyle Dane Bernbach (DDB), New York