European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 25, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Today s crossword a Lark in a Yugo by Henry Kamm new York times sometimes Whan John d. Scanlan he us. Ambassador to Yugoslavia eels like a Bil of a Lark to leaves Hii of mor placed regulation car in the garage. He has the ambassadorial stars and stripes hoisted from he bumper of a Liny Yugo that the american embassy teases from she manufacturer or 11 a year. Then with the chauffeur at the wheel and Scanlan Silling a ambassadorial As one can in the Bach Seal of an Economy car he makes his official Calls even on Premier Branko my Kulli. The Yugo is about is Economy As a car can get. It is advertised As the cheapest car on the american Market Al $3.990. It is As its maker proudly claims in the advertising Basic Bui to yugoslavs the Deal Between their Vaslava automobile plan in Kre Gujevic and an american company headed by Malcolm Bricklin to adapt the Yugo to the american Market and import in in Quantity Means More than just another Ellort to redress a Pam Lully imbalanced foreign currency account. Ii Means the prestige that David acquired from his encounter with Goliath. Here is a Balkan country nol an Industrial giant but. By god. They re marketing a Neal. Inexpensive car in Scanlan said a s a source of National the Yugo foot off to a Rocky Start when in entered the american Market in 1935, some consumer testing publications spoke harshly of its Gearbox and How was. A senior vice president of Yugo America inc., Mac yous said constant changes were being made to improve the product and make it More appealing esl helically he said four american Quality control experts went Over each car after the usual Vaslava inspection nine americans work at Iho plan at Kru Gujevic in Serbia where 55,000 of the 175.000 inhabitants hold jobs Al Zastava. Tho 150-year-old company also produces trucks machine tools and spoil Sig arms. The Deputy Export director. Toma Savic. Said that Yugo America As the company s Best customer exercised Impi land influence in altering the car s specific Lions. At the outset he said about 150 modifications were made mainly to comply with american safely and emission standards. Many More have been added to improve Perl Romance and appearance. Subcompact Yugo ten Lett . Naii itt in 1915. The Yugo a modification of a ear originally produced under License from fial. Now contains american components Worth according to Scanlan $400 to $500. A convertible still in the planning stage will have an entirely american built roof that Savic said will represent a Quarter of the car s value last year. Yugo America bought one fifth of Zastava s car production 40.000 of 201,000 vehicles. Savic said he expected this year s sales to the United states to reach 65,000 to 70.000 cars. For the yugoslav government the project represents an important step in developing close ties to the american Market and the technology of the leading Industrial Power. With a Loreign Debl of nearly $20 billion the government sees the country s future heavily dependent on exports to the Haid currency Merkel and expanding lies Wilh the most developed Powers. I Don t Sec any other big Market for us but the american said Zivorad Kovacevic termer minister without portfolio specializing in economic relations with the Wesl. And the new ambassador to the United sales. To Kovacavic and other economic specialists. Cooperative projects Wilh the High technology Industry of the sales represent a vital Means of keeping yugoslav scientists and engineers linked with the state of the Art. A continuing brain Drain Westward is attributed not Only to 1he Magnet of better pay but also to technological advances. For the consumer the Yugo s principal attraction ils Low Cost appears assured. Despite a yearly inflation Rale of about 90 percent the average Vaslava worker s monthly pay has risen from Only 120,000 dinars a year ago to 1 60,000. That is $260 Al the present Rale of Exchange which is declining Al an even faster Pace than the Dollar. 23 stable 25 nickname 29 Chapeau 7-2s the far Side he Javk Antt Tro Honor Al cml Page 18 the stars and stripes saturday july 25,1937
