5-speed Passat TDI

Hello,
Does anyone have an idea as to how many 1996-1997 Passat 5-speed TDI sedans were made? I'm having trouble finding any similar vehicles. Is it a rare make or have the others gone to car heaven? Any information is appreciated.
Thanks

You mean how many were manuals? All the diesel B4 Passats sold here were manuals. A sizable chunk of the '96 B4s were diesels, and a couple months into the 1997 model year, the base 2.0L gas engine was dropped, making the TDI the standard engine. The only other engine choice was the VR6.

That said, Volkswagen sales, while on the upswing during that period, were nothing here compared to many other makes.

I would venture to say MOST of the 1997 B4s sold here were diesels.

You can probably find sales figures by using google.

Hi again,
I found sales figures for Passats, but they weren't broken down for TDI vs. Gasoline, manual transmission vs. automatic, or sedan vs. wagon. Anyone have an idea of numbers sold in the U. S.?

Not a lot of Passat TDIs were sold here. Imports were limited by corporate average emissions standards. IIRC there were about 6,000 sedans sold in '96-7, and about 1,200 Wagons. Keep in mind this is over 20 years ago, and that the Passat isn't a terribly expensive or desireable vehicle (except to us) so they weren't necessarily well cared for. Most are worn out or rusted out by now. I was at a TDI gtg recently and asked a group of people when they last saw a B4 Passat on the road. Only one of the 8 or so people I was talking to could even recall seeing one in the past year.

We still sell a fair number of parts for these cars, but I believe the remaining vehicles are owned by enthusiasts, many of whom are TDIClub members. And lots of parts for these cars are going obsolete. I talked to a customer today who was looking for a lower radiator hose for his B4. No longer available. Door handles? Nope. fuel lines? NLA. You get the idea.

I like these cars a lot, but when I drive mine I am aware of its age. The difference between a B4 and a MKIV or B5 VW is dramatic. Still, they're strangely appealing cars. And the range is hard, if not impossible, to beat.