Really, Audi ...

This is a bit of a beef so I'll get it out of the way early. In Germany, Audi, like Porsche, Mercedes, and BMW, has a European delivery program (VW does not at this time). They all work pretty much the same: the buyer negotiates with their stateside dealer, the car is made to their specifications and they pick it up in Germany. It's a pretty big deal. Audi whisks its ED purchasers from the Franz Josef Strauss airport in Munich to Ingolstadt, puts them up in a nice hotel, then treats them to special tours, meals, etc. the day the car is delivered (all normal deliveries, no breech or caesarians!). Audi throws in 15 days' car insurance when the car is delivered, so one can break in their new ride in the land of its conception, if not birth (TTs and A3s cabriolets are actually made in Györ, Hungary). When it's time to go home, the car is left at a predetermined location and is shipped to the dealership from where it was ordered, usually arriving anywhere from three to eight weeks after it was dropped off.

When it all began: New Year's Eve 2009

A piece in the New York Times on December 31 2009 planted the seeds for this journey. The article, Touring the Temples of German Automaking, was writer Stephen William's account of visiting four of the five German auto manufacturers' museums. I forwarded the article to my pal Bob, who shares my passion for German cars. This was my dream trip. If only! Most of my travel funds go towards plane fare to visit my kids who live on the west coast, and what's left certainly would not finance a trip overseas. Plus Bob was one of the many in Michigan who was laid off from his job, and unemployment definitely is not generous enough to underwrite a trip.