VW MICROBUS HEADED FOR PRODUCTION?

The fate of the Volkswagen concept Microbus may be decided soon, pending a consensus by Volkswagen AG executives in Germany, who will meet next spring to decide if the retro vehicle, first unveiled at the North American International Auto Show last January, will be built.

Officials from the German state of Lower Saxony, VW's largest shareholder, believe the outlook is favorable for a production model, a modern version of the legendary VW “minibus,” a vehicular symbol the 1960s flower power and hippie movement.

Employees at VW's Hanover, Germany, plant likely would produce the vehicle, but not before 2004, says a plant official.