Word: autostadt
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Just down the autobahn in Wolfsburg, however, Volkswagen has built a theme park that is drawing twice as many visitors as expected, along with rave reviews. Autostadt, or Auto City, is the brainchild of VW chairman Ferdinand Piech. Conceived as a place for VW customers to pick up their new cars, the center quickly grew into the EuroDisney of the automobile. Unlike other theme-park planners, Piech never intended Autostadt to become profitable. The $400 million cost was written off as a marketing expense. Piech hopes Autostadt's revenues will cover its operating expenses next year...
What makes Autostadt a better draw? Architect Gunter Henn took an industrial wasteland and turned it into a magnificent park with shapely modern buildings, bridges and lots of grass. The attractions aren't bad either. There's a 360-degree theater showing a safety film by German director Dani Levy, rides that simulate a fraction of the force of a car crash, and pavilions for each VW brand. John Lennon's white Beetle, featured on the cover of Abbey Road, is a centerpiece of the VW museum. But perhaps the smartest thing VW did was to keep prices...
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