RPG intensifies
Letara, 1974
Ludger Frehse looked happy. Primus finally had an own factory here - which was possible due to the success of the third-generation Publica. Especially the ST sold like bread, and the GLS was still strong in it’s final year.
The telephone rang, it was the Hetvesian general manager Klaus Degen, the successor of Friedrich “Fritz” Huppenbauer.
“Hey Ludger, I heard you wanted to talk to me?”
“Thanks, yes, how is the D5A? I might have an idea who would be one of the first customers to test our last pre-production-model before they’ll be on the market.”
“Yes, that Diesel engine is already making progress, why?”
“WIll it arrive in 1976 as planned? I promised the Letaran traffic minister five police cars for an anti-alcohol campaign. Three Primus Astrona 2100D and two Globus Comet D27, delivery should be done in late '75, giving us three or four months of feedback until these cars are in the showrooms.”
“Sure, no problem, what a great duty for our cars to prove their reliability and economy. Do you have a plan what car to sell next? The Publica will recieve it’s facelift, do you want to see it?”
“Yes, book me a flight and get me a car at the airport, it’s about time!”
please note: Until 1977, police cars in Letara were blue instead of green
Hetvesia, 1974
A metallic blue Primus Imperator turbo rolled up on the airport exit.
“Oh, you didn’t send a driver but came yourself, what an honor, Klaus!”
“Yes, I am still grateful that you stayed in Letara. This cleared the way for my promotion, so thanks again. We are heading to the city center, where a new Publica CL will await us.”
“Great. Let’s see if the Letarans prefer the Astrona or the Comet. The next generations might play a role, I heard rumors the highway patrol will renew most of it’s fleet for the new decade. Maybe I should send them another Interceptor, that Gasmean special model for the GHP. I am sure by 1980 we’ll have a second generation, and it will be hard work to find out which of the three models suits Letara best.”
“Ewww, Ludger, that won’t be neccessary. The Comet will fade out, and so will the Interceptor, even if the Gasmean police allows us to keep the leaded-gasoline engine without converter untill '76.”
“What?”
“The oil crisis has hit Globus so hard that they lost one third of their sales. On top of that, the old-fashioned V8 engines are hit by the new emission regulations in Gasmea. I think Globus won’t make it.”
“Bad news! So continuing with the small Publica is your advice?”, asked Frehse, still in disbelief that Globus would be killed after not even 15 years of existance.
“Yep. It’s proven, the people know it, the people like it.”
Gasmea, a week later
A bus arrived at a lonely desert dealership, 40 miles away from Belasco. The managing director was making a trip around the country to boost the moral of the employees. As Frehse didn’t want to disturb, he took the public transport - a Globus Omni. Crazy to think that badge could disappear from the roads.
The Globus managing director, Lionel Lomax, looked even worse than Frehse had thought.
“Police cars, eh?”, he stuttered. “Here, Gasmans best interceptor, it’s about to loose 65 horsepower soon. And nowadays the police complains about economy and that the car is tight for it’s size, or better said, smaller vehicles offer the same space. This is the most dedicated interceptor, made exclusively for the police force!”
“Well, is it true that Globus will be shut down?”
“It looks that way”, Lomax said with a sad voice. “The Atlas is an old design, the Comet struggles and will be replaced by the new Astrona, and the Grand Cruiser, selling still surprisingly strong considering how hard times are for landyachts with big V8s, is on the rocks… It’s said that the Grand Cruiser won’t recieve another facelift and will be replaced with the new Imperator. Those bosses are insane! At first, they founded Globus to move their Primus car to Frunian and Hetvesian style, just to kill us off a decade later and to re-Gasmeanize their sedans.”
“So, as I search for a police car, there won’t be anything after I get those two Comets?”
“Definitely no.”
“What does the competition do?”
“If we only knew. Rumors say Vaughn builds a new luxury car that is as roomy as the Grand Cruiser, but much lighter and more efficient.”
“Vaughn?”, pondered Frehse, “Yes, I heard about them. They’re not bad, to be fair, but Primus Globus shouldn’t fear them. The journalists visiting the Letaran auto show yesterday voted the Astrona to second, ahead of their new Firebolt, and the Astrona is already in it’s sixth year.”
“You sound like you have a plan.”
“I do. Do you have a car left?”
“Did you look at our sales report? I can give you ten, if you want. Look at all these unsold vehicles!”
“Which one is fast and filled with gas?”
“That purple one.”, answered Lomax, not really knowing what Frehse had in mind.
“All right, I’ll see you in a week in the headquarter. I’ll call you!”
The Globus Comet Fastback pulled away with a roaring V8, but the roar wasn’t the same as it was before the times of two-way converters and unleaded gasoline - that costs a fortune…