[Robert Coats]

In college, my part-time job took me to Eglin AFB near Ft. Walton Beach on the Florida panhandle. A guy I met there was looking for a new car, and I'd just purchased a new '84 Scirocco, so I told him all about it. Fast-forward a month or so, and he tells me he also bought a Scriocco...

"Yeah, it's a Euro-spec model. An Air Force guy bought it in Germany, and got transferred here to Eglin, and traded it. Black on black leather! I can't leave my desk, but here are the keys; you'll see it in the parking lot."

Hmmm. A 'Euro-spec' model? Wonder how it was different. I found it, unlocked the door, and sat down. Did I mention this was Ft. Walton Beach? And it was a HOT day. I inserted the key and started up the engine, then reached for the A/C controls.

But, they were really weird. No English words like mine, just some symbols. And three slotted levers? WTF? Then it hit me. Euro-spec or not, this car did NOT have A/C. I popped open the hood and looked. Sure enough, no A/C compressor like mine. Oh crap. No wonder the Air Force guy traded it after arriving @ Eglin.

My co-worker was not convinced the car did not have A/C. "I just need to read the manual to figure out how it works." Right. He was quoted $5k to install an aftermarket A/C system. Nope. Sold it for a significant loss sometime later.