Our first encounter with Audi of America boss Johan de Nysschen couldn’t have been more uncomfortable. Here he was in 2004, fresh from Audi Japan and ready to begin his new post when I laid claim to a chair at de Nysschen’s table during an Audi-sanctioned dinner. Not more than a few minutes into the meal, the new V.P. asked those of us at the table what we as Americans thought of the Audi brand. A journalist to my left quickly piped in that Americans really knew very little of the brand other than the Unintended Acceleration debacle of ‘80s. Otherwise, the journalist concluded, he didn’t know anyone who actually owned an Audi. Welcome to America Mr. de Nysschen.
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