New Volkswagen California Beach sold out

All 30 examples of the new Volkswagen California Beach Limited Edition camper van announced earlier this month have been sold within nine hours of online orders opening at 10:00am yesterday (June 24).

And Volkswagen Group Australia says its allocation of 30 Kombi van-inspired Multivan Cruise models – the only other ‘lifestyle’ version of the facelifted ‘T6.1’ Transporter to be available Down Under this year – is also selling rapidly online.

As we’ve reported, the California and Multivan specials bring a host of unique features and will be the first new-look Transporter models to arrive in Australia, where T6.1 commercial vans will arrive later than expected in November.

The arrival of full-time T6.1 Transporter-based California, Multivan and Caravelle models have also been pushed back, this time to 2021, by coronavirus-related production delays.

Australian customers who’ve placed orders for these vehicles have also been advised of the delay, and local pricing and specs for the full T.6.1 range will be announced in late July.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Australia director Ryan Davies said the California Beach special’s sell-out success demonstrates the effectiveness of the enhanced vehicle ordering system launched at Volkswagen Australia’s public website in March.

Since then, customers have been able to research, specify, receive a digital trade-in valuation on their existing vehicle, order and track the delivery of their new vehicle completely online from any device.

“It’s fitting that one of our most iconic heritage models ushers in a new way of selling our vehicles,” said Davies.

“In the world we live in, being able to offer customers new levels of flexibility feels like a natural step for the people’s car brand. Our online ordering and trade-in valuation is largely an Australian innovation, and it’s great to see it being embraced by our customers.”

In other VW news, Volkswagen Group Australia sold all 100 lots at its used-vehicle dealer auction dealer auction, marking the German brand’s third consecutive 100 per cent clearance since auctions recommenced last month.

Since its first auction held after the outbreak of COVID-19, the company has successfully auctioned all 260 vehicles offered in three auctions over four weeks.

Yesterday’s auction included 100 company and display vehicles – including Golf GTI, Golf R, Amarok V6 Ultimate and Arteon, which returns to local showrooms early next year after a production hiatus.

They were snapped up by 40 dealers, marking an uplift in the number of both lots and bidders on the May 27 and June 10 auctions also run by Pickles Auctions, who will on-sell them to the public as Certified Pre-owned Cars subject to a 114-point inspection by VGA.

“Three consecutive 100 per cent clearance rates at dealer auctions reflects the demand we’re seeing in the new car market and that equates to some of the strongest weeks of recent years,” said Ben Wilks, VGA’s General Manager of Passenger Vehicle Sales.

“It’s clear that we’re experiencing a strong recovery after the outbreak of the pandemic.”