Does anyone have any insight as to why VW stopped making the Eos? Has anyone attempted to convince VW to bring back the Eos? They brought the beetle back & now the microbus, why not the Eos?! 
LtlRedX
VW have always been a bit hesitant when it comes to models which depart from the run of the mill Polos, Golfs and Passats. For example look at the Lupo - it was a good car, but they completely changed track when its replacement was the Fox (designed and made in Brazil?) And the 'coupe' Scirocco was never replaced, instead they did the Corrado, then axed it due to low sales, then did the Eos (kinda as a coupe as well as cabriolet), then re-introduced it but in a funny squished lowered Golf style instead of a proper coupe, etc etc. Need I mention Phaeton?
So, the Eos was never going to quite fit in. That, combined with its uniquely complex roof and low sales, meant it was never really as profitable as eg the Golf. I imagine whilst it shared a bunch of stuff with the Golf 5 (including the wheelbase) that a lot of the 'expensive to develop' bits like the doors, window sealing, chassis strengthening etc etc are unique. I suspect the Golf 6 cabrio has as many unique bits too, save for the front end, headlights, etc.
Also at the time, soft top convertibles were getting better and (I imagine) the 'dream' of a convertible with a hard top for security was outweighed by maintenance concerns for owners, so it lost its technical advantage if there is one (I think there is....but I'm biased!!)
And with the Audi A4 cabriolet being so similar in size, and able to be upsold more easily, it wasn't a difficult decision to not make a Mk2 Eos.
Interestingly too - and partly because the UK is normally seen as a good market for convertibles (the continent doesn't seem to go for them as much) - the Mk8 Golf cabrio has been shelved due to Brexit.
So, the Eos was never going to quite fit in. That, combined with its uniquely complex roof and low sales, meant it was never really as profitable as eg the Golf. I imagine whilst it shared a bunch of stuff with the Golf 5 (including the wheelbase) that a lot of the 'expensive to develop' bits like the doors, window sealing, chassis strengthening etc etc are unique. I suspect the Golf 6 cabrio has as many unique bits too, save for the front end, headlights, etc.
Also at the time, soft top convertibles were getting better and (I imagine) the 'dream' of a convertible with a hard top for security was outweighed by maintenance concerns for owners, so it lost its technical advantage if there is one (I think there is....but I'm biased!!)
And with the Audi A4 cabriolet being so similar in size, and able to be upsold more easily, it wasn't a difficult decision to not make a Mk2 Eos.
Interestingly too - and partly because the UK is normally seen as a good market for convertibles (the continent doesn't seem to go for them as much) - the Mk8 Golf cabrio has been shelved due to Brexit.
My memory is a bit vague, but VW at the time definitely advertised and promoted the Eos upon launch, and were strongly selling the advantages of the hard top convertible concept as the "next evolution in convertibles" at the time. It was clearly pitched and marketed as a replacement for the Golf convertible, which was a long-running and popular model at the time.
Also to make a niche product only for a few years, especially based on the quantity of investment, doesn't sound like VW.
If anything the surprise is they only gave it less than 5 years (until 2011 when they re-introduced a soft top Golf convertible) rather than properly improving or ironing out the weaknesses - perhaps they were insurmountable issues and the dealers feedback was "no, we want the soft top back". After all, a soft top, except for the rear window, is one big piece of material over the whole roof so isn't going to leak in the middle, only at the edges (and rear window)!
I can't speak for modern era convertibles but I have changed the roof of a Mk1 Golf convertible - as in, changed the vinyl material, not unbolted the entire frame from the car and swapped it over. Of course, a car that old has no computers and no hydraulics either (the later ones had a hydraulic roof, but it was a much simpler system than today's convertibles - it just had 2 rams, and the frame mechanically extended the relevant parts at the relevant time, including various pieces of canvas webbing to look after the interior headlining).
I would imagine a roof change (just the soft top material) on a newer convertible, depending on which one it is, might be somewhat similar, or it might need the roof put into various weird positions to gain access to the edging, etc, not sure? If its the latter then yes its going to be a costly job to do, if its the former then its quite approachable (and affordable). If the repair was of a mechanical, electrical or hydraulic component then yes its going to be similar to an Eos.
I've had people think I owned 2 different cars, because one day I drove past with the roof down and the next day, gone past roof up!!!!
I would imagine a roof change (just the soft top material) on a newer convertible, depending on which one it is, might be somewhat similar, or it might need the roof put into various weird positions to gain access to the edging, etc, not sure? If its the latter then yes its going to be a costly job to do, if its the former then its quite approachable (and affordable). If the repair was of a mechanical, electrical or hydraulic component then yes its going to be similar to an Eos.
I've had people think I owned 2 different cars, because one day I drove past with the roof down and the next day, gone past roof up!!!!
At the end of the day, there will be less spare parts, but more of them in breakers yards. So there will be availability for quite some time yet, that's assuming the scrapped ones aren't all crushed and someone saves the bits off them.
VW parts support is pretty good, the Mk1 Golf's parts were available from the dealer for about 15 years after its production, then between 15-20 years little bits here and there started becoming unavailable, nowadays its getting worse and worse from the dealers but there are independent parts sellers who have bought up wholesale stockpiles of old stuff and may recommission some parts if there's enough demand.
VW parts support is pretty good, the Mk1 Golf's parts were available from the dealer for about 15 years after its production, then between 15-20 years little bits here and there started becoming unavailable, nowadays its getting worse and worse from the dealers but there are independent parts sellers who have bought up wholesale stockpiles of old stuff and may recommission some parts if there's enough demand.
Sounds like, at the end of the day our Eos’ will be pretty much relegated to ownership by collectors and/or those who have knowledge or access to someone who can mechanically help us maintain our vehicles.
Isn't that the case for any car though?
At least you occasionally see another Eos on the road; and there's some parts still available from the dealers and online/breakers etc. Try restoring a classic Mercedes - the parts for them are generally quite well available but the prices are fearsome. But that's the way it is. And secondhand parts, they know the market so they're bumped up and up. Or....a Mk1 Scirocco. I had one a while back, I think there were about 10 on the road at the time. There's a forum/club, everybody knows everyone else and everyone had their little stash of parts. You're well into fabricating, adapting or trying to find it in Germany, then its 1+ month delays, etc etc
All cars (well, almost all.....) will eventually be classics, but they seem to dip into a phase where they're neither valuable, particularly old, but you just don't really see them any more and the parts are a struggle. They have to get through that phase before being properly classic. I don't think we're quite there though.
All cars (well, almost all.....) will eventually be classics, but they seem to dip into a phase where they're neither valuable, particularly old, but you just don't really see them any more and the parts are a struggle. They have to get through that phase before being properly classic. I don't think we're quite there though.
Didn't realise Mercedes were ending the SLC class (what was the SLK class until they renamed their model range). I guess it makes sense though, if they are declining in sales. It is notable that they introduced a C-class convertible (A205, introduced 2016) and S-class convertible (A217, introduced 2015) though, which suggests its not convertibles as a whole, just the hardtop ones which have fallen out of favour.
Part of the reason I bought my Eos was because its unusual - it presents a double personality of being very rare/unusual/sleek looking, at the same time as being boringly dependable like a Golf. A characteristic shared with its predecessors such as the Karmann-Ghias and Scirocco Mk1.
Part of the reason I bought my Eos was because its unusual - it presents a double personality of being very rare/unusual/sleek looking, at the same time as being boringly dependable like a Golf. A characteristic shared with its predecessors such as the Karmann-Ghias and Scirocco Mk1.
They still make the Audi A3 convertible, A5 convertible and TT convertible though. I guess it makes sense - they have the 4 different main brands of Skoda, Seat, VW, Audi, having VW make something expensive/premium and taking market share away from Audi simply doesn't make sense - let that be the premium brand with prices to match.
The automakers love any kind of regulatory change because it means they can design/develop "new" cars which render "old" ones out-of-date (because they don't comply with this week's regulations) and thus flog them to the unsuspecting public. Even better if they can persuade the buyers to trade in or scrap the old cars, one less secondhand car means one more sales opportunity once you've traversed the chain of various car buyers who can only afford secondhand ones etc
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