New Bethesda Volkswagen dealership sets opening date

Ourisman Volkswagen has mailed out an announcement to Bethesda residents about its pending move from Washington, D.C. to downtown Bethesda. The dealership says it currently plans to open its new location at 7001 Arlington Road on April 13.

Autobahn editions on sale

Ourisman is also having a moving sale, as it winds down at its Wisconsin Avenue location in the District. Some of the cars on sale have classic VW names, like "Autobahn", in the best traditions of "Wolfsburg Edition". I always have been a fan of the classic VW models - the Rabbit/Golf, Beetle, Scirocco, Fox, Corrado, and - of course - the Volkswagen Bus.

"Last dealer in DC." The District's
loss is Maryland's gain

This new dealership, which will be in the ground floor of the new luxury apartment building at 7001 Arlington, is a throwback to the classic years of Bethesda when there were car dealerships seemingly on every block downtown. It's an encouraging sign of normality at a time when the District, now firmly the War on Cars capital of the world, has purged itself of car dealerships - to the detriment of its residents, the environment (when DC drivers are forced to expend more emissions just to get their cars serviced) and common sense.

VOLKSWAGENS INVADE ABANDONED BETHESDA FORD DEALERSHIP (PHOTOS)

The former Ourisman Ford dealership by Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda was abandoned several years ago. The site has been expected to be redeveloped in the future.

But a swarm of German Volkswagens has appeared in the lot, where the service area has been apparently utilized by an auto repair business temporarily.

Ourisman must still own the site, because these VWs are from Ourisman Volkswagen on Rockville Pike.

So if you're in the market for a VW, I guess you can get a no-sales-pressure look at the exterior in Bethesda right now.

That GTI looks pretty nice.  It's awfully tough to live up to the sports car legacy of the Ford logo on the building behind it, though.

The Ourisman Ford font on the facade certainly brings back memories of many now-closed Ford dealerships, including one that used to be in the area now called... Bethesda Row!