# A Photo Tour of the Transparent Factory in Dresden [TOC, Photos done]



## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

I have visited the Phaeton assembly plant in Dresden several times, and thoroughly enjoyed each visit. The building and grounds are beautiful, and the whole process of both making and selling Phaetons is totally different than that for any other car in the world.
I have put together some photos, to provide a bit of a 'tour' for folks who have not yet been to Dresden. I hope you find them informative. If you would like to visit the factory, they are very much 'visitor oriented' - the factory is open about 10 to 12 hours a day for visitors, and there are two possible ways to make a tour:
*1)* For the general public - anyone who is interested in visiting, kids, adults, whomever: There are both guided and self-guided tours available almost every day. There are interpretive exhibits, partially assembled Phaeton components and cutaway models, and even a 6 axis full motion W12 simulator, complete with a visual system, to allow you to 'test drive' a W12 on the autobahn at any speed up to the full capability of the Phaeton. Allow about 4 hours for the visit.
*2)* For prospective Phaeton purchasers: Contact the reception desk of the factory ahead of time, and make an appointment. A customer service representative will take you on a tour, and assist you in choosing colours and options for your Phaeton. Either before or after, you can browse through the public tour areas mentioned previously. Allow a full day.
The factory is located right in the heart of downtown Dresden, only about a 15 minute walk from the main square (the Church of Our Lady, or Frauenkirche). It is well served by the city public transit system, which stops right at the door. The same tram lines that transport passengers also bring the various Phaeton components to the factory for assembly.
There are a number of very nice hotels quite close-by to choose from, personally, I prefer the Hilton, because of its delightful location right beside the Frauenkirche. The factory has its own website, GLÄSERNE MANUFAKTUR DRESDEN. Click on the little Union Jack flag in the lower left of the main page if you want to view the site in English. In the meantime - here are some photos that will give you an orientation to the Phaeton build process.
Michael
*The Factory Itself*
_The factory is located directly beside the Dresden botanical garden, and VW has taken care to make sure the landscaping compliments the park beside it._








_The glass building is especially attractive at dusk._








_The factory is located at the intersection of Lennéstrasse and Stübelallee, and there is passenger tram service on both of these streets. If you walk in a north-west direction along Stübelallee for one mile, you will be right in the heart of the old city of Dresden. The name of Stübelallee changes several times as you walk along, but it is obvious that it is the same big, wide promenade._








*But, that was not a normal passenger tram...*
_The tram in the photo above is actually the Volkswagen tram that brings parts from the logistics facility to the Transparent Factory. It looks quite a bit like a normal Dresden tram-car, but if you look at the side of it, you can see that it is a 'freighter', not a passenger tram._








*The next two photos give you an idea of the architecture of the building. Yes, it is this clean, every day.*
















*Arrival of the carosserie (body-structure)*
_The carosserie is built in Zwickau, about 60 miles from Dresden, in the same building as the Bentley Continental GT. It is painted there, and then transported to Dresden. This is more or less what it looks like when it arrives, before Phaeton assembly begins._








*The fuselage-stuffing process*
_Each Phaeton is individually hand built. Sometimes two people work on the car at once, but more often, one person works by him or herself. Because each Phaeton is unique, all the parts and components needed to construct that specific car are picked ahead of time in the logistics center, and loaded onto storage modules. You can see two storage modules, there is one in front and one behind each car. The small square station in the right foreground contains specialized tools that are used to assemble the vehicle at that particular stage of its assembly._








*Another view of the work area*
_The word 'assembly line' really doesn't seem to fit here, but there is a moving line. You can see the two tiny seams in the floor, on either side of the car. The portion of the floor inside those seams moves in a continuous loop throughout the work area. It moves very slowly, about the same speed as a revolving restaurant. You don't really notice the movement when you are inside the factory. The semi-circular arcs in the floor sections allow the entire section to slowly swivel to turn a corner._








*Early in the 'stuffing' process.*
_This is a photo of a Klavierlack Black Phaeton, quite early in the build process. Some components have been installed, but work on the interior trim has not started. The running gear has not yet been installed._








*Lifting the Phaeton*
_At some stages of the build process, it is easier to do the work if the car can be lifted up and moved around as needed. The overhead cranes lift the car up, using the same 4 points that the car normally rests on, and the employee can then move the vehicle around as he or she wants. The working environment in this assembly plant has been very carefully thought out - there is no comparison with other car manufacturing facilities._








*Mating the body-structure and the running gear.*
_Once all the wiring, electronic components, and other necessary parts are installed into the carosserie, it is then time to mate the body-structure with the running gear. The running gear is also assembled by hand, and brought to the main production area by an elevator. Little magnetic sensors beneath the wood floor guide the cart that contains the running gear to the correct position beside the overhead crane._








*A different view of this work area:*








*Aligning the carosserie and the running gear*
_This is the first stage of the mating process - to make sure everything is correctly lined up._








*The carosserie is lowered to a comfortable working height*
_Note that the little electrically powered cart that was holding the running gear in the photo above has now moved out of the way. These carts are quite sophisticated, and move to the correct locations on their own, once the craftspeople are finished with them and initiate the movement process._








*Attaching and connecting different parts*
_Now you can see the advantage of being able to keep the body-structure well above the floor._








*The running gear then moves up, once everything is aligned.*
_(Bet you thought the car was going to move down, right?)_








*After the mating process*
_The Phaeton is starting to look a bit more like a finished car. The next major work will be installing the interior trim._








*Moving to the next assembly area*
_Once the Phaeton is on the overhead crane assembly, it makes sense to leave it there until all the required work on the underside of the car has been completed. Once that is done, it will be placed back onto a workstand at surface level, as shown in the photos of the beginning of the process._








*Final Visual Inspection*
_The interior has been installed, fluids added to the car, and the wheels and tires installed. The Phaeton is now moved into the light tunnel for a very thorough visual inspection. The next process after this will be testing the car, on both dynamometers and on the test-track underneath the factory._








*And into the storage tower*
_Phaetons that are built for customers who plan to pick their car up at the factory are placed into the glass storage tower after they have been built, and the complete pre-delivery inspection process is completed. Phaetons that will be shipped overseas go to a different area, to be wrapped in protective packaging. The little courtyard area in the left foreground is part of the public area of the factory. Directly behind it, you can see the assembly areas._


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: A photo tour of the Transparent Factory in Dresden (PanEuropean)*

There are some additional photos of the Transparent Factory in these threads (discussions) here on the VW Vortex Phaeton forum:
VW Individual Phaeton Interiors - some photos
front quarter panel and ... 
Glass Factory in Dresden invaded by Space Aliens...
and, for those of you who may be new to our forum and are interested in learning more about this wonderful car, Welcome! We are a group of Phaeton owners who use this forum to discuss our common interest. We have put together a 'Table of Contents' that provides links to additional photos and discussion about the Phaeton - to view the table of contents, just click here: Phaeton Forum 'Table of Contents' (FAQ by Category). We welcome new members - the only requirement for membership is an interest in the Phaeton - and we won't send you any junk mail, or give your personal details or email address to anyone else.
Michael
Phaeton Forum Moderator


_Modified by PanEuropean at 3:43 AM 12-22-2005_


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## dcowan699 (Nov 22, 2004)

*Re: A photo tour of the Transparent Factory in Dresden (PanEuropean)*

Absolutely phenomenal post Michael. Thanks for those pictures. I certainly believe we own the best built cars in the world.
VW is doing it right.
David


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: A photo tour of the Transparent Factory in Dresden (dcowan699)*

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. Credit for all the photos goes to the VW media department at the Transparent Factory.
For the information of those who plan to visit the Transparent Factory in Dresden, below are the hours of operation, and the contact numbers. The staff at the Transparent Factory welcome visitors 7 days a week, just about every day of the year. Children are welcome without age restrictions, and no advance reservation for the tour is required.


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## dcowan699 (Nov 22, 2004)

*Re: (dcowan699)*

Question for Michael. How many cars do they produce a day in the factory. I read the other day , source I can't recall, that they were making 400 a day. How can that be when they've only sold 2000 a year in the USA and probably less than 10000 in Europe?????


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: (dcowan699)*

I don't think they make 400 a day, in fact, I don't think the Glass Factory even has the capability of making that many vehicles. It's not a mass-production facility, everything is hand-built. I don't know what the actual vehicle production is. I seem to recall (I can't remember exactly where I read it, but I think it was VW literature) that there were about 6,000 Phaetons sold last year.
The car that 'looks like a convertible' is actually a Luna Blue car car with the Klavierlack paint finish. I'm pretty sure that if VW did have a prototype Phaeton convertable, they would not leave it out in a public area - and that little forecourt with the three cars in it is a public area of the Glass Factory.
Michael


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## rmg2 (Jan 23, 2004)

*Re: (PanEuropean)*

Michael,
Thank you for sharing these photos.
Do you know if VW has a short film made on how the Phaeton is built and the factory itself? If they do, I think it would be a great marketing tool. Maybe we could post a link to it on the Vortex website.
If not, then maybe they should consider it making a video. This factory is stunning and really shows off the quality and craftsmanship that goes into every Phaeton.
I believe a factory video explaining how the Phaeton is made could be a key selling tool used to enhance the Phaeton sale.
No wonder VW is looking to build the Bentley's there.
My wife and I are planning to go to Scotland late summer, early fall. Looks like I need to plan a side trip to the factory.
Thank you for posting these incredible photos.


_Modified by rmg2 at 3:00 AM 2-18-2005_


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## dcowan699 (Nov 22, 2004)

*Re: (PanEuropean)*

Thanks for clearing that up . I knew that 400/day was a ridiculous statement. I read that in one of the popular car mags from last month and couldn't believe it. I hope to go to Germany one day and visit that plant.


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## jmdpjd1 (Aug 18, 2004)

*Re: (dcowan699)*

Great post. Makes me want to detour our next trip to Italy.


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## cxg231 (Sep 24, 2002)

*Re: A photo tour of the Transparent Factory in Dresden (PanEuropean)*

Michael: Thank you for all of the time and obvious care that you have put into this post, it is easily the most impressive post that I have ever seen on the Vortex.
Forget the automobiles, that factory has got to be the most impressive piece of German engineering that I have ever seen. The architect and engineers should be very pround of the final result.
I also think that Volkswagen should be commended for investing what had to be a massive sum of money into the former East Germany.
Thanks again for a great post.
Chris


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: A photo tour of the Transparent Factory in Dresden (cxg231)*

Thanks Chris, very kind of you to say that. I had fun putting the post together. There is still quite a big gap in the photo-process, I have not yet found a good picture that shows the car in the final testing area, after the interior (seating, etc.) has been installed, but before it goes into the light tunnel. As I mentioned earlier, all the photos are courtesy of the VW media staff in Dresden, perhaps they thought that a picture of a Phaeton in final test - with zillions of cables connected to it, hoses coming out from it, etc. might give people the wrong impression, as if the car was on life support, perhaps.
Below is a photo that a Customer Manager took of forum member David Duty's car, once it was fully built, but just before it went into the final test and acceptance area. 
*Almost 100% built, but waiting for final testing and quality control to be conducted*
_The cable coming out from the back supplies positive DC voltage to the car, to avoid depleting the batteries during the production process. The A4 size paper label behind the passenger door identifies this car as a "VW Individual" special order car._


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## designdoctor (Jan 24, 2005)

*Re: A photo tour of the Transparent Factory in Dresden (PanEuropean)*

Michael,
Great post! Thank you for these awesome photos.
As a former car designer from Detroit, I can really appreciate the discipline and passion that went into the development of this vehicle. The procurement scope for this program is simply astonishing!! This glass factory is awe inspiring! 
In my opinion. German engineering is all about execution, they have executed extremely well on this manufacturing facility. Hats off to the VW production engineering group!
Just out of my own curiosity, do they have classical music playing in the background on the assembly line?








Thanks,
Robin


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## nvrlift (Apr 15, 2000)

*Re: A photo tour of the Transparent Factory in Dresden (PanEuropean)*

wow, thanks for posting...as usual your posts are well laid out and informative. Makes me lust after a Phaeton again.....


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## The Ninja (Apr 2, 2001)

Nice post Michael. the photo tour was great. The factory is beautiful.


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## Cubster (Nov 26, 2002)

*Re: (The Ninja)*

Wow. Although the Phaeton is beyond my means it's very easy to see why people are drawn to them. The assembly area is cleaner than most hospitals and downright incredible to see. I think by seeing that this is truly a handbuilt car the naysayers will respect the value. Is the A8 built at a similar facility?


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## PhaetonChix (Dec 16, 2004)

Your sales professional has access via an internal VW site to show Phaeton customers a short video about Transparent Factory in Dresden. Great stuff.
After looking at Michael's photos, my only thought was that we all need to install Canadian Maple floors in our garages so the Phaeton feels at home


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## DCubed (Oct 25, 2004)

*Re: (PhaetonChix)*

Definately, 
Sorry I havent been around much guys, but Michael, that is damn good work, again you never cease to amaze me. makes me want to hop in a plane and fly there to go see it in person...wait, I should be in Greece for my honeymoon this fall....hmmm, possible "business trip" write off, I might have to make this one work!
Thanks Michael.

D


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: (PhaetonChix)*


_Quote, originally posted by *PhaetonChix* »_...we all need to install Canadian Maple floors in our garages so the Phaeton feels at home...

For sure. It is interesting to note that Canadian Maple was chosen for the solid wood floors of the Glass Factory in part for technical reasons: It is one of very few woods that meet the very strict fire regulations governing use of wood in manufacturing facilities. It's also worth noting that the floors are solid maple, not maple veneer.
Michael


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## Ozvol (Feb 12, 2004)

*Re: A photo tour of the Transparent Factory in Dresden (PanEuropean)*

Thanks for the report - that's one pretty impressive car factory!


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## sjpassat (Dec 15, 1999)

*Re: A photo tour of the Transparent Factory in Dresden (hiegear2)*

Are those Peugeot _trains_??? I didn't realize they made them.


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## hiegear2 (Feb 4, 2004)

*Re: A photo tour of the Transparent Factory in Dresden (PanEuropean)*

its their standard public trans..... 

DVB = dresdner verkehrsbetriebe AG = dresdner transporting enterprises AG


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## 6cylVWguy (Jun 14, 2000)

*Re: A photo tour of the Transparent Factory in Dresden (hiegear2)*

Great pics! I wasn't aware how surgically precise and clean the whole process of phaeton production actually is. A special car derserves a special factory! 

So is the phaeton the only car in it's class that's handbuilt? I'm really surprised this tidbit of info isn't brought up more often in the popular press. I think this would be a signficant piece of information. Probably a stupid question, but are either the v8 or W12 motors hand assembled like the AMG cars? How about production of the body? It was mentioned that the body was assembled elsewhere, along with the CGT, are there any hand-formed body panels on either car? 
The more I learn about the the phaeton the more in-awe I become! Stunning automobile.


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## joako (Jun 30, 2002)

Very impressive. The pictures of the assembly process with the men wearing all white reminds me of a VW advertisment a few years ago...


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: A photo tour of the Transparent Factory in Dresden (6cylVWguy)*


_Quote, originally posted by *6cylVWguy* »_...are either the v8 or W12 motors hand assembled like the AMG cars? How about production of the body? It was mentioned that the body was assembled elsewhere, along with the CGT, are there any hand-formed body panels on either car? 

I'm not really sure how or where the engines are assembled. It's possible that they are made at one of VW's purpose-specific engine plants, such as the plant in Chemnitz. The Phaeton bodywork (carosserie) is built in Zwickau/Mosel. As far as I know, there is very little hand-work involved in the production of the carosserie. The precision of measurement for the Phaeton bodywork is in the order of 10ths of a single millimeter, and it is impossible to achieve that precision by hand. Most of the work is, I understand, done by CNC machines and then aligned by laser systems, prior to welding or bonding. Whatever the process used is, it is the same for both the Phaeton and the Bentley, as they are built in the same hall.
Both the engine plant in Chemnitz and the very large manufacturing facility in Mosel are part of Volkswagen Sachsen, which is the company that oversees much of the production in Saxony. It is interesting and amusing to note that the Phaeton and Bentley bodywork are built at the very same site that was for many years the manufacturing plant of the Trabant, prior to the fall of the Iron Curtain. I don't think VW mentions this in their promotional material. I visited the Mosel plant in November 2004 - about the only thing that remains from the Trabant era are the trees in the forest surrounding the factory, everything else has been newly built since 1990.
Michael


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## versatec95 (Nov 16, 2004)

*Re: A photo tour of the Transparent Factory in Dresden (PanEuropean)*

According to the manufacturer 'window sticker' from my car, the engine (V8) was built in Hungary; transmission built in Germany..


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: A photo tour of the Transparent Factory in Dresden (versatec95)*

Correct, the V6 and V8 engines are built in Győr, Hungary, at a very large Audi-operated plant. It is a very modern factory, the first part of it was opened in the mid 1990s but in the last few years it has expanded quite a bit. I have visited it, but they do not offer public tours. They also make the Audi TT at this same factory - but their main activity is making engines.
Michael
*A poster from the engine factory in Gyõr*


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## versatec95 (Nov 16, 2004)

*Re: A photo tour of the Transparent Factory in Dresden (PanEuropean)*

For new cars sold in the US, a 'Parts Content' summary is now required on the window sticker. My Phaeton V8 sticker indicates:
"For Vehicles in this Carline"
U.S./Canadian Parts Content = 1%
Major Sources of Foreign Parts Content (non-U.S./Canada):
Germany = 75%
Hungary = 15%
"For this Vehicle"
Final Assembly Point: Dresden, Germany
Country of Origin:
Engine - Hungary
Transmission - Germany
I guess the engine is considered ~15% of the car?


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## DCubed (Oct 25, 2004)

*Re: A photo tour of the Transparent Factory in Dresden (versatec95)*


_Quote, originally posted by *versatec95* »_For new cars sold in the US, a 'Parts Content' summary is now required on the window sticker. My Phaeton V8 sticker indicates:
"For Vehicles in this Carline"
U.S./Canadian Parts Content = 1%
Major Sources of Foreign Parts Content (non-U.S./Canada):
Germany = 75%
Hungary = 15%
"For this Vehicle"
Final Assembly Point: Dresden, Germany
Country of Origin:
Engine - Hungary
Transmission - Germany
I guess the engine is considered ~15% of the car?

well, the motor, most of the hoses, and such...but the V8 assembled for the Phaeton is out of the same plant as our beloved touareg, so maybe a reflash will give the t-reg the 335HP? As I dive deeper into the VW site that shows its world wide plants....(www.volkswagen-environment.de) it shows nothing in Hungary......a couple in Poland, belgium, spain, portugal, and of course, germany.....who is the V8 made by?


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## red5sp1.8T (May 1, 2002)

*Re: A photo tour of the Transparent Factory in Dresden (PanEuropean)*

I love the internet.








Check out page 24 of this report from 1998 for info on the engine plant in Hungary.
http://www.autoindustry.com/issues/9807w.pdf


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: A photo tour of the Transparent Factory in Dresden (CapoVWSales)*

Glad my VW has a genuine VW engine in it - photo below.
I wonder what the 1% USA content in the Phaeton is? Do you think they count the navigation acceptance screen and the 5 pounds of legal warnings in the Owner Manual as 'content'?
Michael
*W12 Engine*


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## digifant_gli (May 14, 2004)

*Re: A photo tour of the Transparent Factory in Dresden (PanEuropean)*

I would give my right arm to be able to drive one of these cars for an hour....wow.....
It makes my 1990 Jetta GLI and 2003 New Beetle GLX seem inferior....


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: A photo tour of the Transparent Factory in Dresden (digifant_gli)*

Just ask your dealer to give you the demonstrator as a service loaner next time you bring your NB in for an oil change. I think most dealers would be quite happy to do that, assuming you are not 19 years old, and you don't have a chip and set of racing slicks on whatever you bring in for service.
Michael


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: A photo tour of the Transparent Factory in Dresden (PanEuropean)*

Oooops - I just checked your profile, and see that you are 18 years old - I am very sorry, my face is red.








Michael


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## kmartin (Mar 18, 2005)

*My trip to the Transparent Factory*

Hello,
I wanted to give everyone a brief update of my trip to the factory for a private tour that was arranged by VWofA. 
Background: I was in the process of buying (or trying to buy) a Phaeton a few months ago. I wanted a four seat V8 with all of the options in Black with a Tan interior. My dealer was able to find one on a boat that was already on the way and so I started the process of getting financing numbers, etc. Needless to say, VWofA or the dealer (could not figure out who) did not want to switch the 17" wheels for the no-cost 18" - so the deal was lost. 
In the meanwhile, I googled looking for more information about the car and found VWVortex. My obession became complete ;-). I spent the next few weeks posting questions, reading stories and getting to know more about the car and the passion that the car seems to generate. I am a long time Macintosh user - so I am used to people being so passionate about their choice and not taking the same road as others (I use a Windows machine at work - so before I get everyone enraged with the macintosh people being more passionate ;-)).
PanEuropean gave me some advice on setting up a trip and since I spend a good amount of time in Europe, I was able to make some changes to my last trip to fly into Frankfurt - from there a quick 5 hour train ride to Dresden.
Arrival:
Upon arriving in Dresden at the train station, VW arranged to have a driver waiting for me. I was expecting a Phaeton but instead they had this business limo which looked like a giant minivan. I was a little disappointed at first, but when the driver popped the door with his keyfob and the door rolled back - I was amazed. The first thing that I noticed was that it had four seats in the back - two facing another two. The second thing that I noticed were that they were the same seats as the Phaeton - except in seude. The next thing that I noticed is that it had the same console as the four seat Phaeton. In other words, the interior was amazing. It had buttons for a tray that popped out of the side wall - another button for a drop down LCD (much larger than the headrest one in the Phaeton)... I asked the driver - Billy - how much the van was - and he said something like 120K euro - that would be about 145K here in the states - I can see why they are not selling it here. I don't think that people would spend that much - but if it were the price of the Phaeton ;-). The engine was a V6 - which I thought might be underpowered for a van of that size - but it seemed to work. 
The Factory
The next morning my wife and I took a taxi over to the factory. Five minutes later, we walked into the lobby and noticed about 30 people waiting to begin a tour. I checked in with the reception and I was escorted upstairs to a waiting room which many will know from this website. The room contained the leather and paint chips and had a computer in which you could drag items under a sensor and the car displayed on the screen would change. Pretty cool stuff.
It was at this point that I realized that I had a private tour and would not be joining the group. The person from VW who delivered the tour (I have to get her name from her business card) was excellent. She spoke perfect English (which was important because I only know a few words in German - hamburger and frankfurter being the majority of them) and we entered a discussion about the factory and how it was built and what I expected of the tour. After explaining how I would like to be able to order a few individual items - she was suprised that I could not order them directly from the dealer. She showed me a catalog with pictures of the different customizations - including a yellow phaeton with an equally terrible interior - which is nothing to be proud of - except to say that they would do any type of customization. 
We then went downstairs to start the tour. I don't know how to explain this except that the entire factory was quieter than my house is at this moment. I was able to have a conversation the entire time and I was suprised at the lack of noise - almost any noise - in the entire factory. 
The entire assembly line is powered by induction - everything is under the floor - power is supplied by that magnetics. The factory has two robots only - one to put the spare tire wheel well in the trunk and the other to install the windshield. Most of the components are built by subcontracting companies and put together in the factory. The cars arrive already painted with the doors on them. The doors are removed and the car begins the first of four phases of assembly. 
Two hours later... ;-)
I was amazed. I felt small compared to the brains that assembled this plant - the robots and the building. A few years ago, I was invited to Calfornia to tour the NeXT Computer plant and I left there feeling amazed. Empty mother boards would start at one end of the factory - automated chip inserts would do 200 chips a minute - and a completed machine would exit the other end waiting for the only human to clean and pack the machine. That was a humbling moment - but this was even more so. I watched the two robots for about 10 minutes each - how graceful and exacting they were. It was like a dance - the way that the windshield robot would measure the car - then measure the windshield - apply hot glue to the windshield and insert the windshield. 
After the tour we went to lunch at the resturant in the factory. I invited my tour guide to sit with us - I was very interested to hear more about the factory and VW in general. After a very fancy lunch - the head of the factory came in to have lunch at the next table. My tour guide explained that the man was loved by his workers and I could feel the respect from everyone in the room. It was impressive - and I was impressed. This man controlled the entire factory which was so well run it could have been a clock. Nothing was out of place and it made you believe that the car was not only well made - but it was a more viable answer to the more expensive MB and BMW - because not only was the car less money - it was even better made...
After lunch (which I was not allowed to pay for - thanks VW ;-)), we went upstairs back to the room to spec out my car. I added all of the options that I wanted including the better leather chairs (we only get the preforated) and wood steering wheel - I was ready to go back to the hotel to pack up my things for the train ride back to Frankfurt. The printer was not working and I did not get my print out - with my order codes (which I am going to try to order here in the US.)
The one thing that I did not mention above is that when I first arrived - I was talking to the tour guide (I promise to get her name here - I have to unpack my luggage first) is that we were talking about the car and the community on the internet - specifically VWVortex. PanEuropean's name came up as one of the most knowledgeable people outside of VW on the Phaeton - and I was not the one to mention the name. PanEuropean has their respect and mine as well ;-)
I bought a few things at the front desk including a brochure of the transparent factory which I am going to disassemble at work and PDF it here to the board. It is impressive. I also bought a model of the Phaeton for home along with a bunch of smaller phaetons for my family. I have to make them suffer for my obession. I also bought a lighter for my wife - how romantic am I...
2006 cars are being made on the line now. I was told that the engine was the only thing that changed on the 12 cyl. I already emailed my dealer and was told that they don't have pricing or the ability to order a 2006. I was also told that DVD navigation along with a refresh was planned for 07. I would guess that is when the car will look more like the passat. 
We did talk about the bentley and I did not realize that it is 30 or 60 cm larger than the phaeton. I saw the short wheel base and realized that it looked better than the long wheel base (in my opinon). The back door does not have the same cut. I like them both - but hte swb looked more graceful to my eye..
I hope that I did not bore everyone here. I had my camera with me but never took it out to take a single picture. I was so amazed with the tour that it never crossed my mine. 
Keith


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## Mirage11 (Mar 25, 2005)

*Re: My trip to the Transparent Factory (kmartin)*

Amazing writeup! I'm sure you had a great time there! Perhaps I would make one of my holidays a pure Dresden Transparent Factory obsession package...








And yes, Michael does have a unmatched knowledge of the car. Kudos to him. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
The limo that picked you up at the train station - was it a limo version of the Phaeton? I'm really interested at seeing that!
Once again thanks for sharing your experience!


----------



## kmartin (Mar 18, 2005)

*Re: My trip to the Transparent Factory (Mirage11)*

I liked Frankfurt better - but that is just me. There seems to be a big party planned for next year in dresden - 800 years celebration. That might be interesting to head over to..
The limo was a not a phaeton. I am looking on the web to find more information on it. I found it. It is called the Multivan. The model that I was picked up in was the Business. Check out this link http://www.vwn.de/multivan/deu....html and click on the link called Der Multivan business - the flash shows the interior of the van - with the Phaeton seats...
Michael - is that his name ;-)
Yes - I had a great time and I would recommend the visit to anyone who is going to be in the area..


----------



## geowben (Jan 26, 2005)

Terrific report. Great job! Thanks for presenting it.


----------



## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: My trip to the Transparent Factory (kmartin)*

Hi Keith:
I'm really happy to hear that your visit to Dresden went so well. It is a wonderful, beautiful city (even without thinking about the Transparent Factory), and every time I go to the Transparent Factory, I get 're-energized' - because it is really an example of perfection in every respect, full of people who are passionate about their work.
My guess is that you met Herr Stefan Schulte, who is Manager of Manufacturing and Marketing. There is a picture of him on the thread about the Phaeton Owner GTG in Germany that took place last month.
All of the Transparent Factory staff who have any contact with the public speak English - everyone, without exception. Also, most people in the the former DDR (East Germany) who were 10 to 12 years of age or younger when Germany re-integrated in 1991 also speak English well, because it is the second language taught in the school system. This means that a visitor who only speaks English should not be the least bit concerned about planning a trip to Dresden. Whenever I am in Dresden, I use English all the time - at the hotel, in shops, and anytime I am in the Transparent Factory. (I have found that all I have to do is say about 3 words in the Swiss-German dialect I speak, and that is enough to make 80 year old grandmothers switch over to English...







)
In April of 2005, some of the Phaeton forum members who post here met at the Phaeton Owner GTG in Auburn Hills, MI , and we discussed the possibility of North American Customers placing orders for Phaeton trim and options that are not offered as part of the 'standard' choices within the North American Region (NAR). The Volkswagen of America Managers who were our hosts indicated that they would allow us to do this, as long as the options or trim that we wanted did not cause any conflict with the safety legislation (referred to as 'homogulation') in either the USA or Canada. This was very good news to us, and so far, one forum member has an order placed for a Phaeton with a custom interior. His vehicle is being built at this time.
To my knowledge, there is not yet a formal, documented process that explains how to place an order for a Phaeton with equipment that is not a standard order option within NAR. So, here is how I suggest you go about placing your order. Do keep in mind that I am not a VW employee, just an enthusiastic owner, so this is not "official" advice.
*1) *Find an enthusiastic VW dealer who is keen to work with you. It sounds like you have already done this.
*2)* Make arrangements through that dealer to visit the Transparent Factory in Dresden. You have done that, too, but for the benefit of others who may want to repeat this process, the best way for the dealer to go about making arrangements is for the dealer to call Phaeton Customer Care, at the published toll-free number, 1-877-PHAETON.
*3)* Go to Dresden, decide on everything that you want. You have to be sort of 'self-governing' concerning North American safety regulations. In other words, be aware that anything that changes the chassis or engine from NAR spec can't be chosen (e.g. no SWB Phaetons, no TDI engines, no deletion of the full size spare, which is required for rear impact protection). In principle, anything that is 'interior trim' is OK, although there are some pretty obscure NHTSA safety regulations that might trip you up by surprise. For example, you can't order cloth seats, because they have not been tested for 'bum friction' to ensure that the occupant does not slide forward and submarine in the event of a frontal impact accident.
*4) *Get a list of the option and production codes for the Phaeton you want from the staff at the Transparent Factory. This will be a list of 3 character codes (letter-number combinations). Give this list to your dealer in North America.
*5)* Have your dealer in North America contact Phaeton Customer Care (again), and PCC will put your dealer in touch with the correct people at the VW head office. Once that is done, your dealer can talk to them, and place the order for your Phaeton exactly as you have specified it. It then takes about 2 to 3 months for the car to arrive. It will be built fairly quickly, the delay is mostly in shipping, not in production.
You will have to sort the pricing process out with your dealer once you get back, because the Dresden staff don't know what the North American prices are. What I did, before I first went to Dresden to place a custom order back in September of 2004, was to agree with my dealer on the price of the 'basic Phaeton' (a Phaeton configured as close as possible to what I wanted using the North American options), and then agreed with my dealer that he would charge me whatever his cost was for the 'extra', non-standard, European options, plus a fixed percentage markup on these extra options. That got all the financial stuff sorted out and out of the way before I even left for Dresden.
It's also reasonable that your dealer may want a fairly significant down payment (deposit) before he or she orders the custom car for you. This is to protect them, in case you cannot complete the transaction for some unforeseen reason. I told my dealer I would put down 10% of the purchase price of the car, plus 100% of the purchase price of the extra options. We both felt comfortable with that. In the end, though, the V8 I had specified in Dresden was about the same price as a W12 that my dealer had in stock - and the only options missing on the in-stock W12 was some additional leather trim I wanted - so I bought the in-stock W12. But, I'm glad I made the trip to Dresden anyway.
Let us know how the ordering process goes for you - we are all sort of pioneers at this. Don't underestimate the tremendous contribution that the staff at Phaeton Customer Care can make. Although they are not normally involved in the process of buying and ordering Phaetons (they are mostly after-sale support, I think), all the staff at PCC were in attendance at our meeting in Auburn Hills, and they can help direct you or your dealer to the right people within VW to get your custom-made Phaeton ordered easily.
Michael


_Modified by PanEuropean at 3:45 PM 6-12-2005_


----------



## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: My trip to the Transparent Factory (PanEuropean)*

Here are some other threads that relate to what we have been discussing here:
*About the Transparent Factory: *
A photo tour of the Transparent Factory in Dresden
Official Transparent Factory Website (hover your mouse over the word 'deutsch', and a drop-down menu will appear, allowing you to change the language to English)
*About VW Individual, and Phaeton options that are not normally offered in North America:*
VW Individual Atelier at the Transparent Factory
North American orders via VW Individual (an older discussion, Keith's original post)
European Options List, VW Individual Offerings List
VW Individual Phaeton Interiors - some photos
Phaeton Forum Table of Contents (see the first post, at the top)
Standard North American Colour and Option Lists
*About the various owner get-togethers that have taken place:*
Phaeton Owner GTG in Auburn Hills, MI - April 23 and 24, 2005
Phaeton Owner GTG - Dresden, Germany May 20, 21, 2005
*About planning a trip to Dresden:*
City of Dresden - tourism guide
Saxony tourism guide (Saxony is the 'state' that Dresden is located in)
Hilton Dresden (my favourite place to stay - close to the Transparent Factory, but right in the heart of the city)
Hope this gets you started....








Michael


----------



## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: A photo tour of the Transparent Factory in Dresden (PanEuropean)*

Here is a link to a Car and Driver article that provides a photographic tour of the Bentley factory in Crewe, England.
Bentley Motor Cars Crewe Factory Tour
Michael


----------



## culverwood (May 20, 2005)

*Dresden visit for "marriage" of my Phaeton*

After a little confusion with my dealer and with the help of Pan European I arranged with VW Dresden to attend the “marriage” of my car. That is witness the body and engine/transmission being joined. This is simple for anyone from the UK so in case somebody else wants to try this is what happened.
I contacted Dresden and the English speaking contact there Sandra Domse, Customer Management Coordination Export, Die Glaeserne Manufaktur - The Transparent Factory, asked me for my purchase number so that she could find out the time of the “marriage”. 
Having been given that the she was able to find the date and time of the car was being assembled. 

“Regarding the witnessing of the assembly of your Phaeton, we have received a revised schedule for the 11th July and would like to adapt our program accordingly. 

17.30 h Exclusive transfer service from the Westin Bellevue to the Transparent Factory. Upon your arrival, Ms. Jana Silberbach will welcome you at our customer lounge Ms. Silberbach will personally host you and accompany your visit to the assembly floors

18.30 h Witnessing of the "marriage" on our assembly floors

20.00 h Invitation to Dinner”
I asked her for advice on hotels and was given a choice of five hotels VW recommended and I went ahead and booked one. When I told Sandra where I was staying she wrote back to say that VW could arrange special rates: 

“Since you confirmed the reservation of a hotel room at the Westin Bellevue, I would like to verify and adapt your rate to our special arrangement. As indicated, we have special cooperation with these hotels, if you are a guest of the Transparent Factory and make reservations through us. 
Regardless of your existing reservation, would you like us to adapt your room rate for you? In this case, would you like Classic or Deluxe? Deluxe is our recommendation since these rooms are located towards the banks of the river Elbe”. 
Needless to say I took advantage of the reduction. 
I booked Ryanair flights to Leipzig, actually an old Red Army Airforce base at Altenberg between Leipzig and Dresden £76.00 return. There is only one flight to the airport each day and that is the Ryanair one. A hire car was good value booked with the flight and I struck lucky and got a convertible for the price of a base air-con. The drive to Dresden was about an hour and a half but the traffic was heavy but frighteningly fast. The only map trouble was after getting off the autobahn at Dresden where the massive amount of road works and diversions sent me completely the wrong way.
At 17.30 I was picked up by the Business Van a beautifully prepared vehicle with a white suede interior and an array of buttons and tricks that I was unable to fathom on my 5 minute journey.
*Business Van*








On arrival at the Transparent Factory I was taken to the customer lounge and introduced to Jana Silberbach my guide for the evening. Jana spoke perfect English as did everyone that I spoke to including one guide who was born in Atlanta and wanted to meet some American owners as he was going back this summer. I directed him to this forum as a place to contact such people but I don’t know if he will join. Prospective owners coming to the "Atelier" individualisation studio, customers coming for the “marriage” of their car and those coming to pick up their car all get the individual treatment, while day visitors can get a guided tour though not of the production area.
*Customer Lounge View*








After coffee we went down to the "Atelier" Individualisation Studio where they have all the special paints, leathers, wood etc and some pretty special visualisation tools. I said to Jana that unfortunately I was not aware of these possibilities when I ordered my car and it is not something that VW UK seems too keen on. I think they are missing a trick here. 
From there we went down to the showroom area where they had three Phaetons including a very light silver colour that looked great and a LWB version that seemed great for a Head of State but not much good if you are driving it as all the extra space was for the back passenger. 
*View of Production*








*Logistics Unit*








Jana then took me to the assembly area where we had to don white coats before being allowed on the production floor, Canadian maple clean enough to eat your dinner off. The centre section of the floor was moving though at such a slow speed that it was difficult to tell at a glance but when it was pointed out it was clear. This is not a mass production factory but a mass customisation factory. The logistics and the way components are provided to the assemblers would allow a wide variety of low volume high specification products to be produced here. 
*View of Factory *(my car on right)








*My Engine & Transmission* 








*Before Joining*








We wondered along to the point at which the engine/transmission (V6TDI) and body (Tarantella Black SWB) of my car were to be joined and I was surprised to see a photographer and assistant there, I had been taking a few of my own photos having asked permission whenever I got the camera out. At this point is the first of only three robots in the factory and the button to start the robot was pointed out to me and I was beckoned to press it! 
*Robot Emerges*








The parquet floor turned upside down and a robot drill started tightening all the bolts necessary and registered correct fixing of each bolt on a screen.
*Screen showing fixing*








I asked and was told that more than 90 percent of production at the moment is the V6 TDI engine which is well priced in Europe, economical and more than fast enough on our crowded roads.
We went on and saw more of the production including an incident that showed the problems of a transparent factory. We arrived at the window fixing point it had been a sunny day and at this time of the evening the sun was shining directly on the glass and when the machine tried to register the glass’s dimensions before fixing it could not as the sun was flaring out the picture. This was solved by human intervention and a little masking tape. The robot then applied the adhesive to the glass but again due to the heat at one corner the bead did not stick to the glass. Again the man working at that point spotted a problem and another glass was selected and the process started again. 
*Robot applies adhesive*








After the tour I was presented with photos of the “marriage” of my car and shown to the Terrace where as it was such a nice evening the Restaurant was serving dinner. This is not a factory canteen but a first class restaurant run by one of the best hotels in town and throughout the evening local Dresdeners came for dinner or just a drink. Thanks VW for a great meal. 
*Dresden at Sunset*








At 21.00 I went back to the reception and caught the Business Van back to my hotel after one of the most interesting evenings I can remember.
William


_Modified by PanEuropean at 10:54 PM 3-30-2008_


----------



## vwguild (Feb 15, 2001)

*Re: Dresden visit for "marriage" of my Phaeton (culverwood)*

William...Thank you for a wonderful dialogue...Great to share your experience...Sadly your photos are not coming up...Maybe Michael can help here...


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## chrisj428 (Feb 26, 2005)

*Re: Dresden visit for "marriage" of my Phaeton (culverwood)*

This brings a tear of joy to my eye -- how I would LOVE to experience this firsthand!


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## PhaetonChix (Dec 16, 2004)

I want to be a bridesmaid at a Phaeton marriage! A very different process than I have witnessed at the GM plants in Lake Orion and Lansing, where robots are plentiful. Absolutely beautiful. Enjoy your lovely new car.
Actually, I may be able to visit Dresden later this year. How much lead time does one need to set up a Transparent Factory visit?
~PC
_Modified by PhaetonChix at 10:40 AM 7-13-2005_


_Modified by PhaetonChix at 11:19 AM 7-14-2005_


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## chrisj428 (Feb 26, 2005)

*Re: (culverwood)*

William,
I'm happy to try & help if Michael's "out of pocket" right now.







IM me.


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## culverwood (May 20, 2005)

Chris 
Michael has messaged me and I have sent him the photos by e-mail. Thanks for the offer though.
William


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: (culverwood)*

Hi William:
I finally found a few minutes to go through my emails, and noticed your email to me (of a few weeks ago) with the photos. I made a tiny edit to your original post to cause the pictures you hosted to appear at full size (800 pixels wide), rather than in shrunken size.
Great post, great writeup, and great car! I'm glad I had a chance to see your car in person when I was in Cambridge in August.
Michael


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## metro_vw (Dec 18, 2004)

I definately have to experience that one day. Excellent post.


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## 12johnny (Oct 28, 2003)

*Re: A photo tour of the Transparent Factory in Dresden (PanEuropean)*

Awesome post!







(as always)
We feel fortunate to have you, Michael, in Vortex, and I'm sure that everybody think the same. Posts as delightfully entertaining like this one are a work of art!
Thanks! http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## Highline (Mar 13, 2003)

*Re: A photo tour of the Transparent Factory in Dresden*

Nissan-ME is using "Welcome on board" slogan for their Armada ads and in a huge billboard aside the highway, they have the SUV parked with many people will their luggages aproaching and in the background the "Airport terminal" building.
Guess the picture of what building, they're using...
 


_Modified by PanEuropean at 10:58 PM 3-30-2008_


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: A photo tour of the Transparent Factory in Dresden (Highline)*

That is too funny - see if you can get a picture of it, and either post it here, or email it to me and I will post it - it would be a real classic if we could have that on our forum...








Michael


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## uscfan (Nov 13, 2005)

Wow that is awesome. This story is on digg now so its gonna get hella attention.
I thought the phaeton was being discontinued? Must be more popular in europe than here in the states, I have only seen one outside of a dealership.


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: (uscfan)*

Volkswagen of America will no longer import the Phaeton to North America effective the end of February 2006. However, Phaeton production continues in Dresden for all other markets, and the Phaeton is continuing to sell well (and show year over year sales growth) in the European market.
Michael


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## 16volt (Oct 26, 2000)

*Re: A photo tour of the Transparent Factory in Dresden (Pigsdofly)*

LOL...Vortex on digg.


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## tdi_gti (Jul 5, 2005)

*Re: A photo tour of the Transparent Factory in Dresden ([email protected])*

This post got linked off of http://www.boingboing.net... poor picture hostings sites


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## MusicmanUK (Jun 12, 2004)

*Re: A photo tour of the Transparent Factory in Dresden (PanEuropean)*

Wow! Fabulous photos of an amazing building.








Thank you.








Very positive review by the _Guardian_'s architectural correspondent from 2002
http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts....html
and this is the architects' web site, they've done a lot of work for other parts of the VAG group
http://www.henn.de/default.asp...ng=EN


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## StattlichPassat (Feb 12, 2001)

*Re: (uscfan)*


_Quote, originally posted by *uscfan* »_Wow that is awesome. This story is on digg now so its gonna get hella attention.

My best friend follows sites like that and sent me this link... I was like, "What are you doing on the Vortex? That's my job!"
Awesome thread as usual, Michael. I actually had not seen that level of detail and description into the Factory yet. _Incredible._


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## IchBinDarren (Nov 5, 2005)

I love that place. You could eat off the floors in that factory! Now that is the proper way to do it. Only in Germany...


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## PhaetonChix (Dec 16, 2004)

The floors are Canadian Maple...used for fire retardantcy and sound deadening.
I can not wait until May when I'll get to see it in person.
~PC


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## Highline (Mar 13, 2003)

*Re: A photo tour of the Transparent Factory in Dresden (PanEuropean)*


_Quote, originally posted by *PanEuropean* »_That is too funny - see if you can get a picture of it, and either post it here, or email it to me and I will post it - it would be a real classic if we could have that on our forum...








Michael

The best I could do today (while driving)










One of these days I'll try and get a better one


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: A photo tour of the Transparent Factory in Dresden (Highline)*

Wow - I don't know if that is the result of chutzpah or stupidity on Nissan's part.
Michael


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## Kcmover (Jul 20, 2005)

*Re: A photo tour of the Transparent Factory in Dresden (PanEuropean)*

chutzpah


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## PhaetonChix (Dec 16, 2004)

Calling all intellectual property lawyers...Wow, talk about a SNAFU...
~PC


_Modified by PhaetonChix at 2:56 PM 12-29-2005_


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## Highline (Mar 13, 2003)

A better photo:








... and these are the people who sued Audi for using "Q" on their SUV model name.


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## PhaetonChix (Dec 16, 2004)

Looks like the kids in the CL are on to the Transparent Factory too. 
http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=2361838

Please note GDJ's comments about the Bentleys in the storage tower.
~PC


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## 2002turboS (May 20, 2002)

*Re: (james.)*

I just spent a good 1/2 hour reading, with interest, this thread. Beautiful! 
My question is, what will they build in that building, now that the Phaeton has been killed?


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## taygeorge5288 (Jul 24, 2004)

*Re: (2002turboS)*

I live about fifteen minutes from where the Nissan Armada is built. I know why they would show a VW factory instead of their own.


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## PhaetonChix (Dec 16, 2004)

*Re: (2002turboS)*


_Quote, originally posted by *2002turboS* »_I just spent a good 1/2 hour reading, with interest, this thread. Beautiful! 
My question is, what will they build in that building, now that the Phaeton has been killed?









They still sell the Phaeton in Europe, Asian and South Africa.
~PC


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: (2002turboS)*


_Quote, originally posted by *2002turboS* »_My question is, what will they build in that building, now that the Phaeton has been killed? 

As PC pointed out above, the Phaeton has not been killed. VW of America has decided not to import it into the USA and Canada anymore. The Phaeton is still selling well in other world markets, notably Europe. Life continues in Dresden, and so does car production...
As of January 2006, both Phaetons and Bentley Continental Flying Spurs are being built in the Transparent Factory in Dresden. There have been numerous rumors that the Porsche Panamera (a 4 door Porsche) may also be built there in the future.
Michael
*PS: *Interesting to note the number of views of this thread - it has reached over 200,000 views now. Hopefully, perhaps one out of every thousand people who has viewed this post might have decided to buy a Phaeton...


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## 2002turboS (May 20, 2002)

*Re: (PanEuropean)*

I'm glad to hear that it will still be built, but sad that it won't be offered in the US. 
Now, I have another question. If and when I win the lottery,







will I be able to import one to me?


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: (2002turboS)*


_Quote, originally posted by *2002turboS* »_If and when I win the lottery,








will I be able to import one to me? 

It would probably take all the money you won in the lottery to get a MY 2007 Phaeton accepted for registration in the USA, because VW themselves will not be doing the emissions approval for the MY 2007 Phaetons. In practice, this means you will have to content yourself with finding a nice 2004, 2005 or 2006 Phaeton that has already been imported into the USA by VW of America.
Michael


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## Ambrose Wolfinger (Feb 21, 2005)

*Re: (MK3NORTH)*

I know this is an old thread, but I just now sat down and read through the whole thing.
Absolutely stunning. I would love to see this factory in person sometime. It resembles anything BUT a car manufacturing plant. Hopefully the attention to detail given to Phaeton production will, at some point, rub off on the rest of VW's products.


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## culverwood (May 20, 2005)

The light fittings at the Transparent factory are by Siteco (a German lighting company owned by JP Morgan). I know this because one of their guys just showed me a publicity brochure with pictures of their floodlights aimed upwards and reflecting off mirrors above the Phaeton production line. He said he had never seen one since so I was able to prove they do exist.
William


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## Vanatge (Apr 9, 2006)

That is an impressive car plant! Fantastic pics. When I visited the Geneva motorshow I left saying to myself, (like each year...) if I could drive off with one car from the show, what would it be? This year it was definetly the Phaeton. I never really had a propper look, but the W12 that was in the VW stand was most impressive. Definetly the nicest car in the show, and definetly a car I would buy if i needed a bigger car.
Sorry for posting in an old thread, Im new to the forum and Im just lurking arround...lots of great info!
best, 
Danny


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## JrodVW (Mar 9, 2001)

*Re: A photo tour of the Transparent Factory in Dresden (PanEuropean)*

Was this ever a vortex feature story? It SHOULD be.....


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## brilliantyellowg60 (Aug 30, 2001)

*Re: A photo tour of the Transparent Factory in Dresden (JrodVW)*

I went to the factory today, and all i can say this this thread is amazing. They wont let you take pics, but these ones in this thread a great. 
I remember seeing pictures of Corrados being built @ Karmann the same way. Doesn't say much for the process of hand-building.








The story of how i finally screwed over VW








So my collegue and I go to this place, everything I read on it online said free tours 7 days a week. So we get there and i walk by the greeter at the entrance, he finally gets my attention and tells me i have to pay 4 Euro to get in, no signs mind you saying any of this. We walk around the first floor checking out a couple displays and you can see alot of nearly finished cars through the glass. I see people on the upper floors. 
So I ask a security guy how I get up there and he points to a tour group and says something else. I walk over and join the tour group in the back. I go through the whole tour, which was GREAT. Not the tour guide becuase I don't have a clue of anything he said i dont speak German, but the chance to see up close how these cars are built and every stage along the way. They build the Phaeton and Bently sedan there. Towards the end of the tour we go back down stairs and thats when the guy i am with (speaks german) says, " They are going to have brunch after this, I think this was a paid tour." I had seen enough so we just left and had lunch in dowtown Dresden. Apparently all those people had paid 90 Euro to take the tour and have lunch. I was wondering why the guide kept giving me dirty looks.








Oh well they owe me








I single-handedly created 6 VW owners in the last couple years. 
If you are into mechanics, manufacturing, etc then this is a must see.








I have worked on machines my whole life and this place is amazing, I almost want to submit an application. 
Then on the way back we stopped at this track the Eurospeedway in Lausitz








I was hoping to get a few hot laps in the Opel wagon TDI but they had motorcycle practice. They do let you out in your car for a few $$ a lap like the Ring. They also do a bunch of 1/4 mile drag racing there too, I got the schedule for future trips










_Modified by brilliantyellowg60 at 12:45 PM 8-13-2006_


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## brilliantyellowg60 (Aug 30, 2001)

*Re: (Darkdashing)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Darkdashing* »_all that trouble for a car that is fading out? what is the plant going to be used for now?

fading out in the US maybe, not in Europe








Plus they build Bentley's there and i am sure Audi could find a use for it


----------



## nods (Sep 22, 2006)

*Re: (Paldi)*

Michael, my company is doing an article on Volkswagen, would it be alright if I used a copy of one of your photos in it? Please let me know. Thanks!
Dave


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: (nods)*

Hi Dave:
Most of the photos that I used in the original post were supplied to me by Volkswagen's media affairs department. My guess is that VW would be quite happy to grant you permission to reproduce the photos, however, the best way of going about getting a high-quality image, and getting the permission to reproduce it would be to contact VW Media Affairs directly.
For the US and Canada, you can visit their website at http://media.vw.com/digital_index.cfm, and click on the button marked 'contacts' to send an email requesting registration. Once you have registered, you can download high res images. Permission to reproduce the images is implicit in your registration.
Most of the Phaeton photos I used here can be found by clicking on the section entitled 'factories'.
Michael


----------



## nods (Sep 22, 2006)

*Re: (PanEuropean)*

Thanks so much for the prompt response Michael!








Dave


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## vwbrandojavw (Nov 18, 2005)

*Re: A photo tour of the Transparent Factory in Dresden (PanEuropean)*

im plannign on going to germany this summer... just wondering if there is any other VW factories around there... if you could send me any other info about...the locations, anything i might need to know, that would be great. thanks


----------



## superkrischi (Jan 19, 2003)

*Re: A photo tour of the Transparent Factory in Dresden (vwbrandojavw)*


_Quote »_
im plannign on going to germany this summer... just wondering if there is any other VW factories around there... if you could send me any other info about...the locations, anything i might need to know, that would be great. thanks


Hello,
i´ve got the luck to live in Dresden.








If you want to see some interesting factory´s on your summertrip to germany, i can advise the "Autostadt" in Wolfsburg. It is very interesting, especially to see brandnew Corrado´s, Scirocco´s or Golf MK1 GTI´s! 
Also the Porsche-factory in Leipzig is very nice. 
But the "Gläserne Manufaktur" for the Phaeton is the absolute coronation of german automobile manufacture, even if not everybody of the german people is fascinated from the buliding of luxuriest automobiles by VW in our contry. 
@ michael
a very nice memorandum!! Respect! http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## thomas b. (Dec 17, 2006)

*Re: A photo tour of the Transparent Factory in Dresden (vwbrandojavw)*

@ vwbrandojavw: Don't miss the AUTOSTADT in Wolfsburg:
http://www.autostadt.de/portal...=PAGE
http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## snowdog650 (Apr 20, 2002)

*Re: A photo tour of the Transparent Factory in Dresden (PanEuropean)*

I think this is the greatest post I have seen in my 5 years at the Vortex.
http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## mrAW11 (Mar 8, 2007)

*Re: (Bbd)*

i doubt they actually let anyone see the real nitty gritty work of building cars. lots of welding and grungy mechanic types(such as myself) monkeying around with stuff. 
up until a few years ago, there was a ford ranger plant about a half hour from where i live. after taking the tour, i would have to say that a real high volume car assembly plant isn't exactly a glamorous place.


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## PhaetonChix (Dec 16, 2004)

*Re: (mrAW11)*

The Transparent Factory is an assembly plant. The major components arrive via a nifty rail system for final hand assembly. 
The employees are considered the cream of the crop. It is not a fully automated plant nor is it staffed by Ompa Lumpa's.
The area around the Transparent Factory is filled with museums, nicer apartments and the zoological gardens. Trust me, this facility looks nothing like Wixom or OK City or the Cadillac Poletown plant.
PC 

_Modified by PhaetonChix at 10:11 AM 9-24-2007_


_Modified by PhaetonChix at 3:22 PM 9-24-2007_


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## EOSinthesun (Mar 27, 2007)

*Re: A photo tour of the Transparent Factory in Dresden (PanEuropean)*

Michael,
What a wonderful photo tour! I'm still in awe of the Phaeton and was disappointed that I couldn't visit Dresden during my Prague visit last April. Perhaps the next time I'm in that neck of the woods.
In the meantime, I'm enjoying my little EOS as our weather now approaches the "top-down" season.
One quick question re: the Phaeton - as I understand it, they don't make sunroofs for them. Is that correct?
Thanks,
Inge


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## SVESSA (Jul 16, 2007)

*Re: A photo tour of the Transparent Factory in Dresden (EOSinthesun)*

Inge,
As far as I know, all the North America Phaetons come standard with sunroof.
Scott


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: (mrAW11)*


_Quote, originally posted by *mrAW11* »_i doubt they actually let anyone see the real nitty gritty work of building cars. lots of welding and grungy mechanic types(such as myself) monkeying around with stuff. 

No, that is not correct. The bodyshells are made in Zwickau, about an hour's drive down the road from Dresden, and all of the owners that attended the 2007 GTG in Dresden were given a tour of Zwickau this past summer. It is not quite as nice looking as Dresden (no Maple flooring), but it is equally clean and is quite a pleasant working environment.
Michael


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## PhirstVW (Mar 23, 2008)

*Re: A photo tour of the Transparent Factory in Dresden (PanEuropean)*

Please re-host.
Jim


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: A photo tour of the Transparent Factory in Dresden (PhirstVW)*

Photos re-hosted.
Michael


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## ttvick (Aug 15, 2007)

Does anyone have an idea of the cost to make a Phaeton? Knowing about the $4 million-ish loss VW takes on every Veyron makes me curious about this.


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## passatgirl9 (Nov 10, 2008)

*Re: A photo tour of the Transparent Factory in Dresden (PanEuropean)*

can you just go there and take a tour? im going there in a couple weeks and was thinking about it







that would be so neat!


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: A photo tour of the Transparent Factory in Dresden (passatgirl9)*


_Quote, originally posted by *passatgirl9* »_can you just go there and take a tour?

Yes. Visit their website for details - GLÄSERNE MANUFAKTUR DRESDEN


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## bobm (Mar 2, 2004)

*Re: A photo tour of the Transparent Factory in Dresden (PanEuropean)*

Or go on a virtual tour:


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## M1LUM (Apr 2, 2006)

*Re: A photo tour of the Transparent Factory in Dresden*

I was fortunate enough to take the tour today, I gate-crashed a pre-arranged group for one of my company's resellers.
Photo's do not do the place justice, and the staff there really are excellent, answering just about any question thrown at them.
Not sure I like that new 810 centre display though, too much like the rest of the VW range.


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## SEO123 (May 14, 2009)

*Re: A photo tour of the Transparent Factory in Dresden (PanEuropean)*

No words for so beautiful composition!!!
These photos are so...
"F A B U L O U S !"
that kinda looks like an ikea for cars. you know, but it and put it together yourself, i wouldnt mike a revolving floor or the tilt o jack.
too bad they threw in the costs of the factory into the cars tag


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## l1t43 (Oct 27, 2005)

Beautiful factory, it's like a work of art. Do they still make the Phaeton in europe or what is the main use of that factory now?


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## BenMSki (Nov 30, 2001)

*Re: (l1t43)*


_Quote, originally posted by *l1t43* »_Beautiful factory, it's like a work of art. Do they still make the Phaeton in europe or what is the main use of that factory now?

wondering the same thing... what an amazing place


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## Itzmann (Jan 16, 2006)

*My visit ... January 2010*

I only e-mailed the factory three days before our visit last week... they were closed for business, but since I am an owner, they most graciously offered to give us the tour anyway.
We were immediately escorted to their lounge, a large room with panoramic windows with a view of the Dresden skyline. There are several sitting areas in there. Ours featured several Dynaudio speakers playing Corelli's Concerto Grosso, Op.6 No.8 at a very low volume, but since it was coming from numerous speakers, it was very agreeable (Dynaudio speakers are now the upgrade choice for Phaeton). After some conversation, we were advised we couldn't take pictures outside of the lounge, so we adhered to the rules for the rest of the visit.
















Our first stop was an overview of the factory's building sections from an inside terrace. It was striking to see the factory's workstations all loaded with work in process, just as if the staff was on a lunch break! We were offered a visit of the manufacturing floors downstairs. For this, we were issued white overcoats. My most vivid recollections of the visit are:
• Each workstation stop in the Phaeton assembly line takes 18 minutes to perform its job. By comparison, a Golf workstation at other VW plants may take around 1.5 minutes.
• The wire loom weighs 60 kilos or over 100 lbs. There are a lot of wires on this car.
• Just before the "marriage" section, there was a W12 powertrain featuring its massive ceramic brakes, which are now standard on W12. Those looked just about the size of tires on a regular car, and were definitively über-cool looking.
• It takes longer to test the car after assembly than it does to build it; this is why they put in 8 gallons of fuel —30 l.— at the fluids-filling workstation. Car testing includes their subterranean torture (rattle) track and a drive in the actual Dresden roads!
• The fluids-filling workstation parquet floor is just as spotless as the rest of the assembly line.
• Over half of the Manufaktur's production goes to China. Easy to spot on the assembly line: the VIN plate on the frame of the right-hand side front passenger door is not in our Roman alphabet. Most of these cars are gasoline V6, whereas in the European market the TDI V6 predominates. Many of the China-bound car are four seaters, as apparently Phaeton owners are driven, instead of drivers.
• The leather dashes with contrasting-color sewing, the black wood accents, the saddle and chocolate brown leathers, the piping on the seats, the Alcantara... wow. Stunning. My beige/brown interior looks positively pedestrian. There is something to be said about 90% of German owners being willing to come to the Manufaktur to pick their car. The US market, with its take-whatever-is-on-the-dealer's tradition dumbs down design selection to beige and grey, basically. Minimum common denominator.
• The office space right in the middle of the moving assembly loops. Excellent!
• Sensitive leather still comes from Poltrona Frau in Italy. The other type of leather comes from a company in Austria, if I recall correctly.
• The drivetrain of the car before the marriage includes one part that can be seen from inside the cabin: the gearbox shifter... I had forgotten the shifter, which feels so solid and powerful... is just a computer interface. A joystick. There is just a wire loom running from the shifter box to the gearbox.








Since the factory was closed, I was unable to purchase a replacement LED lamp accessory for the cigarette holder at the souvenir store. €16! These things in Phaeton silver cost like 80 bucks stateside! We were offered a courtesy 6-inch black Phaeton model, instead, for free, because I think our extremely nice and courteous hosts were a somewhat embarrased about the factory being closed.








I was a happy camper. If you visit Dresden, I also highly recommend Glashütte 30 kms south. The German Clock Museum and Glashütte Original guided factory tour are can't misses if you like watches. And one can buy a Nomos watch. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 



_Modified by Itzmann at 12:19 PM 1-12-2010_


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## trondsv8 (Nov 17, 2009)

So, you also got that model, he , he
I got that from our guide at the end of the visit. fantastic tour, exellent service for us also. I guess you also used the doctors clothes on the assebly.
Nice pictures, thanks
Trond


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## airportparking (Sep 13, 2010)

Nice post...Greatly appreciated!!!


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## Szy_szka (Aug 26, 2010)

*Phaeton Factory in Dresden, Germany*

Found on Autoblog.com

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/11/09/video-inside-volkswagens-cutting-edge-transparent-factory-in-d/

Just incredible; this factory is really something!


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## R4DEK1 (Nov 6, 2010)

Cześć

Twój nick mówi mi, że jesteśmy z tego samego kraju, a więc pozwolę sobie pisać po polsku. Fabryka Phaetona w Dreźnie jest rzeczywiście impoująca. Od dłuższego czasu mam ochotę się tam wybrać w celu zwiedzenia, ciągle zachęcany przez mojego kumpla który tam był. Podobno wejście kosztuje kilka euro ale warto objerzeć fabryczkę, w której powstało cudeńko, którym poruszam sie na codzień. Mam nadzieję, że moje plany się niedługo ziszczą.

pzdr 

RADEK


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## barrier12 (Feb 1, 2009)

R4DEK1,

Could you translate your post in English as well? It is sounds definitely Polish(po Polsku), but I do not undertsand some words.

Dzenkuju bardzo! 

I was in Warsaw couple of times.


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## R4DEK1 (Nov 6, 2010)

Hi barrier12

Ofcourse I'll try to translate it for You but unfortunetelly my English isn't very well.


"Phaetons industry in Dresden is really very impressive. For a long time Im fancy to visit because of my friend who was there and he said its really worth it. It is said that entrance costs several euros but it will be a nice experiance to visit a place where my magnificent car was made. I hope that in near future I do that."



R4DEK1


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## barrier12 (Feb 1, 2009)

Thank you. My knowledge of Polish language was good for only first half of your post...


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

Photos re-hosted.

Michael


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## Fernanda do Canto (May 25, 2013)

*Engineer Introduction book*

Hi !

I'm designing a book titled Engineer Introduction. I work at the Public University Publisher (Editora da UFSC), at Florianópolis, Brazil. I was just looking for a picture about car fabric and I really liked your. Could you give me permission to use one of this photographies in the book?
On our part, we have no way to pay the images, but we can give credit and send you a book when it's ready. This book is in the seventh edition, and is the most read of all this university.

Please, send me an email if you aggree. 

[email protected]

Best regards,
Fernanda


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

Hi Fernanda:

Almost all of the pictures used on the first page of this post were provided to me by Volkswagen, who also gave me permission to reproduce them here. They are, for the most part, press and public relations photos.

So, if you contact Volkswagen's press department (either in Germany or in your own country), I think you will find it easy to obtain permission to reproduce these photos.

Michael


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## pdejong0 (May 16, 2011)

*VERY excited to be making my first visit to the Transparent Factory... tomorrow! ;-)*

Thanks to this forum, Michael's excellent introduction to the Factory (in many ways and threads), and several years of hunting for my Phaeton and planning this trip.... I'll be in Dresden tomorrow for my tour. As reported by others, all it took was an email to Katrin, my Phaeton's VIN, and I was warmly welcomed and scheduled a personal 1.5 hour tour. Following the tour, I've been offered a two hour test drive of my choice of a V6, V6 TDI or V8, and either a long or short version. Surprise, surprise... I chose the 4.2L V8 LWB option for my test drive. Autobahn here I come! ;-)

Peter


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## David47 (Nov 12, 2013)

^^^
Is this typical treatment at the factory for a Phaeton owner?
If so, HOLY MOLY.
I'm rapidly starting to think that VW group are the best company in the world.


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## Phaetonlvr (Feb 26, 2013)

pdejong0 said:


> ... Following the tour, I've been offered a two hour test drive of my choice of a V6, V6 TDI or V8, and either a long or short version. Surprise, surprise... I chose the 4.2L V8 LWB option for my test drive. Autobahn here I come! ;-)


I visited the factory last September and it was fun, my tour ended up taking 2 hours mostly because we got to the "marriage" station just when the line stopped for a 10 min coffee break. Our tour guide was so nice to just wait it out so I could see how the chassis gets bolted to the body. They even let me push the button to start that futuristic looking bolt robot ... made my day!

Unfortunately they didn't offer test drives back when I visited. Let us know how that went.


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## Paximus (Aug 26, 2011)

Here's a photo of the last few Phaetons being run along the assembly line in March 2016. Obviously, the last few Bentley Flying Spurs from Dresden were also going through, mixed seemingly at random with the Ps.

Chris


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## Paximus (Aug 26, 2011)

If anyone is following the changes at the Transparent Factory in its new role as Electric Vehicle showplace and assembly centre, they may be interested in this YouTube video taken at Dresden.

It's quite a long video which mainly focuses on VW's new MEB platform (*M*odularer *E*lektro*b*aukasten), intended to underpin the next generation of VAG small and medium EVs being released after 2020.

The larger Phaeton-sized platform will be the PPE (Premium Platform Electric, in English) which is expected to initially support two Audi models and other cars from Porsche in 2022.

No word on any Electric Phaeton, perhaps an A8-EV is the nearest we will get.

Chris


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## Prince Ludwig (Mar 24, 2007)

I'm off to the Transparent Factory in November (along with the BMW plant in Leipzig) so I'll ask if there are any plans for a new 'leccy Phaeton...

Harry


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## Paximus (Aug 26, 2011)

Hi Harry,

Have a good trip, and do let us know what you see...

It looks like VW and BMW EV concept designs are converging on a consensus, at least for small aspirational cars.

Chris



*BMW concept image for the i3 (2011)*










*VW concept image for the I.D. (2016)*


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