GERMAN chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has officially opened Volkswagen's new 'theme park' where company car drivers can collect their new cars. Autostadt based at VW's headquarters in Wolfsburg, will attract about one million tourists every year and although it won't offer theme parks rides, it will provide wind tunnel demonstrations, crash test simulations, a go-kart track and 360-degree cinema.

Luxury manufacturers have long allowed customers to collect their new cars from the factory, but this is a new move for mainstream manufacturer Volkswagen. Customers will still order cars from their local dealerships but can collect them from two 20-storey steel and glass towers holding 400 cars each (pictured in the centre of the photograph). Volkswagen plans to build four more towers. (July 2000)